Equality drives innovation: Microsoft Over the past five years, Microsoft has set about reinventing monthly all-company Q&A with CEO Satya Nadella and his itself and is once again one of the most valuable companies in leadership team. Employees are encouraged to take an active the world today. This re-emergence has manifested in different role—working with their managers—to chart the career path ways, including a strategic shift toward cloud computing. But that is right for them, and managers in turn are given tools and this resurgence would not be occurring if it weren’t for the training that help them be better leaders for their teams. This strength of its evolving culture, which underpins everything the evolving culture can perhaps best be seen during Microsoft’s company is doing today. One Week event, when employees from around the world This culture evolution is grounded in the fundamental belief that come together each July for a week of collaboration, inclusion throughout the organization, from executives and partnership and learning opportunities. The event is highlighted managers to employees around the world, is table stakes for by a three-day Hackathon where thousands of employees work innovation. It means that every employee be their best self at on small teams creating new technology solutions and work and apply a growth mindset to help Microsoft be more products—many of which are designed for social good. responsive to the needs of both customers and employees. This Microsoft’s shift from a “know it all” culture to a “learn it all” can be seen in everything from the company’s “core priority” on culture has invited an entirely new world of potential for the inclusion for all employees; to posters and signage that company, producing game-changing innovations and a more encourage people to invite in new ideas and foster creativity; to empathetic workplace. From its augmented reality HoloLens to Microsoft’s “Outside In” program, in which luminaries and artificial intelligence for the visually impaired, Microsoft is thought leaders from all walks of life are invited to the making the world a better place. But it started with making company’s Redmond campus to meet with employees; to a Microsoft a better company first. 16 GETTING TO EQUAL 2019: CREATING A CULTURE THAT DRIVES INNOVATION