Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and now a billionaire worth $1.1 billion, recently shared career advice for young people. In a podcast with Lex Fridman, he spoke about what makes someone a great employee and how to grow professionally.
Best Employees Are Their Own Toughest Critics
Pichai believes that the best workers are often very hard on themselves. He said, “Some people are so focused on doing well that when they make a mistake, they feel worse about it than anyone else does.”
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Pichai shared that during his career, he often felt nervous working with smarter people. But he said that this discomfort helped him grow. “You want to feel challenged sometimes — that’s how you learn and improve,” he said. He encouraged young people to work with others who push them to do better and to not be afraid of difficult situations. “You’ll often surprise yourself,” he added.
This mindset helped him get noticed by Google’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, which led to him becoming CEO in 2015.
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Follow Your Passion
Instead of always making career decisions based only on logic, Pichai told Gen Z to follow their hearts. “Do things you truly enjoy. Listen to your heart,” he advised.
Success Comes from Strong Teams
Pichai believes building the right team is key to success. He looks for people who care about the company’s mission, have a drive to be excellent, and inspire others.
He also shared his calm management style. He trusts his team and doesn’t feel the need to correct them often. “Sometimes you have to tell someone their actions weren’t okay, but usually, good employees already know,” he said.
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Although Pichai is now a billionaire, his wealth is much smaller compared to Google’s co-founders, who are worth over $160 billion each.
