Google CEO Sundar Pichai says this mantra he learnt during his IIT days help him cope with pressure at Google
Google CEO Sundar Pichai
Google CEO
Sundar Pichai has shared his mantra which he picked up during his student days in India which helped him to stay grounded and cope with pressure at Google. Speaking at a Stanford Business School event, Pichai mentioned about the two-part mindset he learned at the time of studying at
IIT Kharagpur
which later helped him at Stanford. The first mantra is to take decision and not overthink on it and second is to remember that most of the decision are not permanent.
'You making that decision is the most important thing you can do to move forward,' Pichai said. 'It may feel like a lot rides on it, but you look later and realize—it wasn't that consequential'
"I think in some ways, I did learn it at IIT, you know, when you're preparing for exams or doing problem sets," Pichai recounted. "It's a way to cope with overwhelming situations by breaking them down into manageable parts." He emphasized that rather than being paralyzed by the vastness of an issue or the weight of future uncertainties, the mantra encourages directing energy towards immediate, solvable tasks.
Pichai also credits his mentor Bill Campbell who helped him in becoming a decisive leader. 'Every week he'd ask me, 'What ties did you break this week?'' Pichai recalled, referring to moments when he had to resolve deadlocks within teams.
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"I think in some ways, I did learn it at IIT, you know, when you're preparing for exams or doing problem sets," Pichai recounted. "It's a way to cope with overwhelming situations by breaking them down into manageable parts." He emphasized that rather than being paralyzed by the vastness of an issue or the weight of future uncertainties, the mantra encourages directing energy towards immediate, solvable tasks.
The mantra also helped Pichai to lead Google through major transitions. 'The higher up you are in an organization, the harder the decisions that come to you,' he noted. 'But it's just another normal day at the office, and you keep going through it'.
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