[I wrote this post 10 years ago right after I left Google and I think some of it still rings true. I will write a newer version soon.]
Moonshots!
Technology is moving at a very rapid pace. Incremental changes to your product are easy to replicate. These may include additional features, pricing changes, or added support. You need products that are 10-15 times better than the incumbents. Go big or go home!
The manager is out, and the doer is in.
“Manager” is obsolete. You don’t need to manage if you hire the right people and empower them the right way. Hiring managers to manage only adds layers of hierarchy to the organizational structure. Modern corporations need managers who are doers as well - leaders who talk less and do more.
New generation, new style of leadership?
Days of command and control are over. The new generation demands a style of leadership called “Servant leadership.” If you haven’t read the book, I strongly encourage you to pick a copy. Leaders are here to serve their employees. Think of it as an inverted organizational structure. The CEO serves the VPs, the VP serves the Directors, the Director serves the front-line employees, and the front-line employee serves your customers.
Experience is overrated!
Let’s start with a few examples: Aaron Levie, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. These founders had zero experience in their respective industries, but they completely disrupted their markets. Less experience is good. Unburdened by assumptions, you embark on a journey of questioning everything. Hire smart people, give them problems to solve, and see magic happen.
Karma matters!
Don’t give up on opportunities to earn karma points. Your colleague needs help? Jump in, even if it doesn’t benefit you in the short run. The majority of your day-to-day work will require assistance from your coworkers - keep those karma points handy, and you can cash them later.
Shit happens!
Things will go wrong. That super secret project will leak to the press. Or your service will crash once in a while. Remember, shit happens! Keep your cool and carry on. The conversation must shift from "Why did it happen?" to "How can it be fixed?" Finger-pointing is a thing of the 80s.
Good always wins over evil!
Never swindle your customers or your employees. They will always discover the truth. It takes years to build a reputation and a day to ruin it. Tons of research shows that corporate responsibility maximizes shareholder returns.
Never, never give up!
It is a life lesson applied to work. Perseverance wins! I am sure you have heard the saying “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." Shit happens, things fail - the key is to try, try and try till you succeed.
There is more to life than work!
Your productivity at work is much impacted by what you do outside work. Encourage your employees to pursue interesting hobbies and live a fulfilling life. Ask them to read a book, go for a walk, run a marathon, or take a beach vacation. Remember, “great cheese comes from happy cows”.
Do your own thing!
Yes! You have heard me right. Numerous experts will offer advice on how to do it the right way. Let me tell you - “there is no formula to success”. Don’t listen to me; do your own thing; create your own list. And most importantly, stick to it.