cars are not computers
I cannot believe the Microsoft board would be clueless enough to hire a car exec. He might have done a brilliant job with cars, but Microsoft's business is completely different. Ballmer was capable enough as an administrator, but he was not a visionary. He was good enough at milking their established markets, but his failure to see the importance of mobile and tablets, or to put decent products into those areas, has sewn the seeds of Microsoft's demise, or certainly its total dominance. Apple too is sinking now they've put an accountant in charge.
The British car industry since the 60s declined for the same reasons. The German companies prospered and still do because they put highly qualified engineers in charge. Technology companies' long term success rests of having leaders who fundamentally understand the technology, not people who are good and looking at profit and loss accounts and firing people.