In Short: Google CEO Sundar Pichai manages workplace stress by following two key principles: make decisions to break through challenges and remember that most decisions are not as critical as they seem.....
Sundar Pichai’s Two Mantras for Managing Stress
Leading one of the world's biggest tech companies is far from a stress-free
job. For Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, each day brings big
decisions and constant pressure. But over the years, he has learned to stay
calm no matter what. Pichai says he follows two mantras to stay steady in his
decisions and lead with clarity.
Speaking at Stanford Business School a few years ago, Pichai shared how this mindset has shaped his leadership. One of the key
principles he follows is: “Making a decision is the most important thing you
can do. You are breaking a knot.” He believes that this is what helps move the
organization forward.
Second, he pointed out that most of the
decisions we make are actually trivial. A decision may seem very important at
first, but later you realize it didn’t have as much impact as you expected.
Pichai believes only a few decisions truly have major consequence, and that
thoughtful decision-making is a big part of leadership.
Pichai credits this practical mindset to his
mentor, Bill Campbell, the former CEO of Intuit. Campbell mentored him while
Pichai was at Stanford, meeting with him every week. Each time, Campbell would
ask, “What control did you break this week?” This helped Pichai build
confidence in making tough decisions and guided him through difficult times. He
says Campbell’s lessons have stayed with him ever since.
Pichai joined Google in 2004 as a product
manager and steadily rose through the ranks, becoming CEO in 2015. Since then,
he has led the company through many highs and lows. He admits that making decisions
at the top is never easy, but his approach has helped him stand firm.
From the outside, the work may look overwhelming. But Pichai says that when you know your skills are helping the company move forward, the job becomes more fulfilling, and even a little fun.
