Satya has a charismatic nature in addition to his other skills. People who criticize him feel compelled to apologize for it.

Microsoft people always liked to tell the story about Ballmer losing his shit with people dealing with him using iPhones. The dude lacked public charisma and his belief in his company played like a NIH syndrome gone wild. But he was hella smart and his push for things like EAs and software assurance paved the way for the modern Microsoft cash cows.