Larry Page: Taking His Own Advice at Google

larrypage2

Key Lesson:  Take time to connect with your employees. It can really pay off. 

It’s no secret that Google employees enjoy some of the best corporate perks and benefits available. Great pay, paternity leave equal to maternity leave, free gourmet food and the welcome mat out for the family dog are just a few of the things that keep Googlers happy. Still, the most important thing to many of them is the connection they feel with their boss, CEO Larry Page.

In Glassdoor’s latest annual ranking of CEOs, Page came out on top with a 97% approval rating from employees. As Glassdoor analyst Scott Dobroski told the Huffington Post, “This ranking comes directly from employees. It’s according to people who really know their CEOs best.” Since Page was 11th on the list last year, the big question is what changed? The answer:  Page made himself more available to employees or, as Dobroski puts it, “he showed face at more employee events” and “acted on the same level as other employees.”

It could be that going to employee events and acting on a level with employees is something that Page is somewhat uncomfortable with. One of his best pieces of advice is to “always work hard on something uncomfortably exciting.” We suspect he may be taking his own advice. After all, back in 2011, a Business Insider article suggested that Page “will find interacting with other people the most challenging part of his new job.” The same article also noted that Page would need to reckon with his reputation as “egomaniacal” and a “jerk”.

Larry Page is our Grounded Leader of the Week for understanding the need to connect with his corporate community — and for recognizing that while he may be CEO, he’s also an employee. His participation in that context is clearly valued by the people he works with.

 

 

Share
0

About the Author

LATEST POSTS & NEWS

Thought Papers & e-Books

The Healthy Leader® Download Archives CALM IN CHAOS: HOW TO THRIVE IN THE NEW WORLD OF WORK DOWNLOAD NOW LEADERSHIP JOURNEYS DOWNLOAD NOW THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FUTURE DOWNLOAD NOW GROUNDED AND CONSCIOUS LEADERS – THREE OPTIONS DOWNLOAD NOW VIRTUAL GROUNDED AND CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE DOWNLOAD NOW THE NEW LEADERSHIP

Share
READ MORE

How to Build a Healthy Corporate Culture

Business success depends on having a healthy culture. A healthy culture depends on leaders who model the values and behaviors needed to build and sustain it. How do you get there? How do you take whatever culture you have today and optimize it to endure and thrive even in this

Share
READ MORE

THE HEALTHY LEADER® Wins Gold, Silver and Bronze

THE HEALTHY LEADER®, a leader in innovative leadership development programs, won coveted Brandon Hall Group Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards for excellence in two Leadership Development categories and one Excellence in Technology category.

Share
READ MORE

ADDRESS

1101 Wilson Blvd. 6th Floor Arlington, VA 22209 USA

PHONES

+ 1 703 351 9901

CONTACTS

Need information here - is this new email addresses?