Lyndsay Williams, a former engineer at Microsoft’s Cambridge Research Center in the UK who has met Ballmer several times, described their first meeting.
“He shook my hand and it felt like he had crushed every bone,” she said. “I found it a bit overpowering — after all, it’s not a power struggle.”
Whether or not he is the archetypal alpha male, such examples of his infamous bullish machismo seem to have characterized Ballmer’s command of the company since he became chief executive. Critics focus on Microsoft’s history of anti-competitive practices, while insiders remain concerned about its stalling share price and lack of vision. The recent attempt to buy Yahoo, which carried a sense of both desperation and intimidation, has led many to wonder publicly whether Ballmer is the right man for the job.
The fear, say those familiar with the company, is that after a decade-long transition of power from Gates, Ballmer is in danger of being stuck in the past. And even though younger rivals such as Google are outflanking the Seattle software giant, Ballmer cannot stop himself trying to stay top dog.
“Ballmer simply doesn’t like to lose. At all,” said Maxwell. “He’s a competition addict. Or, as one of his Harvard classmates told me, when his competition switch was turned on, it then broke.”
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