What Do People Do When They Are Leading? (Term Paper Sample)

Leadership Style: What Do People Do When They Are Leading?
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Summary
Google is probably the best known term of the internet after Facebook. The effectiveness of Google as a search engine far much exceeds any possible expectations of the most optimistic person of the previous decades. It has been referred to as a standout company and a world ideal. Larry Page, the CEO of Google, was born in March 26th 1973 in East Lansing in Michigan, USA. Both of his parents were professors in Computer Science at the Michigan State University. He attended the Michigan University and graduated with honours in Computer Engineering. He also achieved a Master of Science Computer Science from Stanford University. The Google idea was born as a result of a long process of research and improvement on his doctorate thesis, which sought to explore the mathematical properties of the World Wide Web and the nature of the links in a graphical method. Working closely with fellow student and friend, Sergey Brin, they established the Google search engine around 1998, which hit the global market just a few years into its inception (belbins, 2012).
Since taking up over from Eric Schmidt about a year ago, Page has exuded confidence that he surely will take Google higher. His ambition and efforts have seen him named the CEO of the year by Business Daily.
The Leadership Style
The success and growth of Google as a global giant could not have relied on Larry’s intelligence only. His leadership attributes have played a major role in Google’s success. For instance, Page always gets his hands on anything he needs to change. He has successfully displayed a supportive attitude to his employees, besides developing a culture whereby every worker at Google sees the company as a family, not a workplace. The company offers benefits which shadow most other world renowned company’s. For instance, provision of free quality meals, health care embedded within the outlets premises, family allowances, travel insurances, fitness centres and some compensation to the family of a deceased employee.
Besides, he seeks to provide solutions to problems created by other market players. For instance, Google is known for manufacturing software that directly challenges other players. ‘Google docs’ is a free web-based office suite was invented as a counter to the more expensive Microsoft Office. Google Chrome, the company’s web browser is slowly surpassing other web browsers such as Mozilla and microsoft’s Internet Explorer, just as Gmail has crushed Yahoo! and other email service providers (Rangen, 2013). Moreover, Page holds that a company that thrives in competing will eventually be phased out. He notes that the best way to succeed in the corporate world is to find new solutions to old problems. This is the core value in Google. The new solution must bring something interesting in it. As one Google’s manager notes, a new solution will entail not only creating a time machine, but a time machine that operates without any connection to a power source (White, 2007).
Larry Page also believes that there is a surmountable ground in information technology that has not yet been covered. His opinion is that the current technological development has only covered less than 0.1 % of the potential ground. To cover the remaining 99%, a deeper research into humanity problems must be accomplished (Rangen, 2013). For instance, he envisions a time when a system of lighting will manage to reflect the sun such that all the earth experiences daylight simultaneously.
On internal politics, Page has been effective in handling them. He argues that the reason why most companies get stuck in the course of their greatness is when the Executive officers get caught up in defending the company’s production lines and focus on maintaining the status quo. This happens at the expense of the company’s innovative potential (Sadler, 2003). Finally, Page’s leadership strategy dictates that the company grows by 1000 %. This may be dismissed as an overambitious target, but as Page argues, it may be the only way any willing company can be distinguished from the rest. The argument behind is that the optimal 10 % growth sought for by other companies is too low for any institution that desires to succeed wildly. He notes that 10 % growth will ensure that the company remains effective and significant in the global market.
However, since everyone else is doing that, the chances of one achieving their highest potential in the shortest time possible are very minimal. To achieve this, Page always pushes his employees to explore the edges and limits of whatever is technically possible (Miller, 2013). He demands an entire rethinking of problems, while ensuring more fun in the process. The outcome of this has been an increment of its investors’ earnings, as well as a transformation of its users’ lives. More importantly, the success of Google under the hands of Larry Page shows that employees can gunner more than a good salary from their employer. He has shown that innovation can be used to not only provide us with implements, but also credible solutions to our problems.
Personal Values
Page has been described as an introvert. This may be partly true, but according to his own confession, he is outspoken. In his Google+ account he notes that his soft voice was a result of a cold that affected his vocal chords in his fourteenth year (White, 2007). Some of his friends would tell him that his voice was funny, while some held that he sounded better.
Withstanding, Page is a keen listener to his juniors’ opinions. In the company, there are weekly meetings, called TGIF, where employees are allowed to ask any question to their seniors. The employees, also called Googlers, are also allowed to put forward suggestions to the company. The meetings are so important that the Googlers absent have a chance to stream the event life from their office and participate. This, according to Sadler (2007), is one of the reasons why Google is growing bigger under him.
Page can also be described as having a desire to improve people’s lives. Apart from his contribution at Google, Page engaged in several humanitarian pursuits, such as the financing of Flu shots for children in San Francisco. Page has established a culture in which the employees experience a sense of belonging. The culture resulting from such favours the fast growth of the company experienced today, and an assurance of greater achievements ahead.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The first strength of Larry is his intellectual honesty. The employees of Google note that Page states his honestly. This has earned him respect, trust and support from both the employees and managers. Nevertheless, he demands more integration and collaboration among them, and a consistent and interesting look for all Google’s product.
Secondly, he is noted to have a vision bigger than anyone in the company and the technology industry as a whole. This vision is the main reason why he reorganized the company immediately after becoming its CEO. His new structure brought more accountability and clarified the lines between different departments. Similarly, he wiped out some of the projects which were not contributing to his priorities.
Thirdly, Page is known for engaging in exceptional projects. Google X, the secret facility overseen by th...