Microsoft Code Book - Mission, Culture, Principles

Tip

Microsoft’s internal cultural codebook: mission, values, and leadership principles distilled into a compact reference. The key quote: “The only way to achieve our mission is by living our culture.”

• Growth Mindset is the foundation: Moves from fear of failure → experimentation, know-it-all → learn-it-all, snap judgment → self-awareness
• Four pillars: Growth Mindset, Customer Obsessed, Diverse & Inclusive, One Microsoft (team over self)
• Leadership = Create clarity + Generate energy + Deliver success: Not title-dependent — anyone can apply these
• Manager role = Model · Coach · Care: Model the culture, coach toward goals, care about each person’s growth

Mission

To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

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World — The Context We Operate In

Microsoft sees its role as creating people-centred experiences, powered by two forces:

• Intelligent Cloud — computing is ubiquitous, ambient, always working on our behalf
• Intelligent Edge — AI breaks down barriers and brings people closer together

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Culture — How We Show Up

Growth Mindset (the foundation)

We are learners. Key shifts:

• Fear of failure → experimentation
• Know-it-all → learn-it-all
• Short-term thinking → getting smarter over time
• Snap judgment → self-awareness
• “I don’t know” → “I don’t know — yet”

The Four Culture Pillars

Pillar	Essence
Growth Mindset	Curiosity, humility, learning from failure
Customer Obsessed	Their success is how we measure ours
Diverse & Inclusive	Seek out differences; approach with curiosity and courage
One Microsoft	Team over self; contribute to others’ success

Our Values

• Respect — treat everyone with decency and dignity
• Integrity — speak truth kindly; do the right thing even when hard
• Accountability — own problems, fix what’s broken, share in success

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Leadership Principles

Leadership is not defined by title — it’s principles anyone can apply:

• Create clarity — harmonise complexity, define actions
• Generate energy — build optimistic, creative environments
• Deliver success — drive innovation tenaciously, solve problems without boundaries

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Manager Expectations (Model · Coach · Care)

• Model — live the culture; set the tone through leadership
• Coach — encourage collaboration, help teams reach clear goals
• Care — understand each person’s skills and aspirations; invest in their growth

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Closing Thought

“The only way to achieve our mission is by living our culture.” — Satya Nadella