“Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently delivered an enthusiastic commencement address at the University of Washington,” Laura Montini reports for Inc.
“Recent graduates of the University of Washington — and all of those who newly find themselves at a crossroad in their careers — likely took comfort hearing that former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is in a similar position as well,” Montini reports. “‘I am 58 years old, and I, too, don’t know what I’m doing again,’ Ballmer said to applause Sunday during his University of Washington commencement speech.”
“Ballmer served as Microsoft’s CEO for 14 years before stepping down in February. Prior to his resignation, most commentators widely agreed that it was in due time. Microsoft’s stock value had tumbled over the course of 10 years, and the company had been struggling to chase Apple and Google for a large part of Ballmer’s tenure,” Montini reports. “Inc.’s Les McKeown concluded that it was Ballmer’s leadership style that had hindered his own success. ‘The sports-coach-as-leader model doesn’t work in business,’ McKeown stressed.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yes, you’re in the exact same position as Steve Ballmer (except with hair and minus the $20 billion net worth).
Of course, that such a schlub could have amassed such a fortune does prove that America is the land of boundless opportunity! So, go get ’em, grads!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Daniel N.” for the heads up.]
I think the phrase “don’t know what I’m doing” has entered balmers mind many, many times. Sadly for MS, this is the first time it’s managed to exit his mouth
Oh, watch the whole speech. It’s just so babbling and stupid. So basic Ballmer—full of hot air that goes nowhere and says nothing.
Also, a commencement speech is WAY too late for Balmer’s story to help them. Balmer’s “success” was based on a lucky college roommate assignment, right? 🙂
Yes, and only Ballmer is stupid enough to tell these kids that this is the best time in history to be graduating. REALLY? Obviously his billionaire status as allowed him not to be concerned with the economy or the job unemployment rates.
Comedian Jim Carrey’s Commencement Address at this dinky university is better than Ballmer’s!
You never fooled any of us monkey boy😝
No sh#*, er kidding Sherlock.
He should have added “But I’m an expert at that.”
Oh, and he had the best college dorm room assignment in history.
Wonder where he’d be today without that chance draw? I doubt CEO or billionaire would have ever been part of his title.
Ultimately a night manager shift at McDonald’s would have been Ballmer’s fate and he wouldn’t get that right either.
Yes, ponder what the menu at McD’s would be today with Ballmer at the helm for 10 years. At least McD’s has an official clown suit for him to wear.
Yeah like the McDud – a Milk Dud infused hamburger, a Ballmer creation.
And of course he’d expand the drive in Windows. “You want Dud Spuds with that?”
Drive through windows I meant.
We are told that no chairs were broken in the making of this commencement address.
Apple should hire Ballmer. The folk at Apple work their asses off making great hardware and software.
They could use some comic relief.
Apple should hire Ballmer for one cardinal reason—to shut up Jay Morrison.
Where is BLN ? Is the fact that BLN disappeared about the same time that sweaty old Balmer announced he was stepping down. Coincidence hmm ?
Maybe he reunited with the right nut and made peace.
The important difference is that Ballmer has had 14 years of not knowing what he’s doing.
You are giving more credit than I would.
Steve (Jobs) had a similar issue when he was fired from Apple.
“I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down – that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love…
And so [Thank heavens] I decided to start over.”*
Stanford University Commencement Address*† delivered by Steve Jobs,
CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005.
* TEXT: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html
† VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHWUCX6osgM
This, a clueless chap.
Addendum:
But then Steve Jobs always had a LOT MORE to start with.
It’s difficult to start anything with an empty head. Ballmer has always been all smoke and mirrors. Somehow Bill Gates just never saw that and kept promoting him.
Compare Ballmer’s address to “Stay hungry, stay foolish”
Not fair to Steve Jobs when making that comparison!
Ballmer would have said: “Feast from the banquet and stay clueless.”
never did
That’s got to be unsettling, hearing that strange man utter those uncomfortable words demonstrating obscene wealth and utter clueless-ness at your own commencement. Yeah, weird, unnerving.
The Clippers will have to put up with him longer than the duration of the speech and its awful memories. I am glad I have memories of Carl Sagan at my commencement.
I noticed the guy running the camera could hardly contain himself from bursting out laughing.
It’s too late for the grads, they’re chance of getting the luckiest dorm room assignment ever is over. 😉
“‘I am 58 years old, and I too, once again, don’t know what I’m doing.”
or
“I am 58 years old, and I, too, don’t know what I’m doing. Again.”
I like it. I like it a lot
Only with the stars aligned in a once in a lifetime fashion when he was born, all other candidates dying in a plane crash and accidentally walking in on Bill Gates cheating on his wife with a geriatric dwarf could someone like Balmer achieve what he has done. Even then he would have to bribe the selection board.
He still doesn’t know what he’s doing.
How much is that used Pinto or Gremlin is he selling it for? I heard its in top condition with original paint and tires. He also added an 8-Track Player for a bonus.
> The sports-coach-as-leader model doesn’t work in business
Apparently, he’s running a pro basketball franchise now, so perhaps that will be a better fit. 🙂
The man is as appalling in irrelevance as he was in incomprehension