When the phone rang, Steve Ballmer was delighted to hear from his old Harvard buddy.

Though both attended the prestigious university, Ballmer’s buddy had left to run a start-up before graduation. Ballmer, on the other hand, went on to work for Proctor and Gamble selling brownie mix. 

Bored and unfulfilled, he enrolled in Stanford Business School to pursue a graduate degree. The friend wanted Ballmer to come help run his new software business during a time when software wasn’t a commonly-known entity. He hymned and hawed in asking him to join him during that call.

Ballmer was eventually convinced and soon became Microsoft employee No. 30. 

He followed his dream — adhering to the Richard Feynman principle of falling in love with something. 

‘Fall in love with some activity and do it! Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn’t matter,” Feynman once said.

“Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough. Work as hard and as much as you want to on the things you like to do the best. Don’t think about what you want to be, but what you want to do. Keep up some kind of a minimum with other things so that society doesn’t stop you from doing anything at all.”

Anyone who has been around Ballmer knows how excited he gets, how enthusiastically he presents, and how he wants his staff to feel the same. He oozes with excitement and wears his heart on his sleeve. 

Ballmer goes “all in” on what he loves. Now, his focus centers on the Los Angeles Clippers. The energy he displayed in running Microsoft is the same he is using to transform the Clippers from being the second team in Los Angeles to the best team in the NBA. Second place doesn’t exist for Ballmer. He is in the left lane going 100 miles per hour with a clear goal in sight.

As the leader of the Clippers, he wants these 14 traits from everyone in the organization, including himself.    

1. Sharks Move Forward or Die (be on and stay on the attack)
2. Build Skills (every day in practice)
3. Ideas Matter (pick the right direction to go and absolutely jump in)
4. Must see playing field (what are the opportunities)
5. Be hard core — work the work
6. Optimism & Passion are force multipliers (taken from Colin Powell)
7. Own the results (accountability)
8. The Magic of Time (be patient if things are on the right path; but have urgency with patience – tough balance)
9. Be First but Commit to be Last (last guy playing in the last game for the last win)
10. Courage and Convictions
11. Be a detail-oriented leader
12. Be self-critical
13. Focus on finding talent
14. Personal Connection. Understand everyone

Going from selling brownies to becoming one of the richest men in the world is an amazing achievement. 

What is all the more impressive about Ballmer is his fame and wealth haven’t changed his behavior or made him feel a sense of entitlement. 

He still is chasing greatness, knowing that pursuit takes far more than money. 

Want to advertise in The Daily Coach? Learn More