Monica Langley at the WSJ:
His personal turning point came on a London street. Winding down from a run one morning during a May trip, he had a few minutes to stroll, some rare spare time for recent months. For the first time, he began thinking Microsoft might change faster without him.
“At the end of the day, we need to break a pattern,” he says. “Face it: I’m a pattern.”
Say what you want about Ballmer; the guy has surprising clarity and self-awareness about who he is.
Probably more than most CEOs in tech.
I hope Microsoft stays competitive in tech, I really do. I also hope neither Alan Mulally or Stephen Elop take the reins.