Inside Microsoft: Balancing Creativity and Discipline

When you encourage individual initiative, you often sacrifice managerial rigor. Microsoft’s former COO found a way to clean up the company’s operational mess while preserving its freewheeling culture.

by

Robert J. Herbold

by

Robert J. Herbold

From the Magazine (January 2002)

I came to Microsoft from Procter & Gamble in November 1994. Right from the start, it was obvious—to paraphrase Dorothy as she arrives in the Land of Oz—that I wasn’t in Ohio anymore.

A version of this article appeared in the January 2002 issue of Harvard Business Review.

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Robert J. Herbold retired last year as chief operating officer at Microsoft. He currently works part-time for the company as an executive vice president involved with government, industry, and customer issues, and runs his own consulting business.

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Finance Essentials Course

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Finance Essentials. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

Strengthen your fluency in financial statements.

Start Course

Learn More & See All Courses

Inside Microsoft: Balancing Creativity and Discipline

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