10x10: Ten Lessons From Ten Years at Google

When I joined Google a decade ago(!), I could never have imagined what an incredible set of experiences the next ten years would bring. What a privilege it has been. Now, as I celebrate this anniversary, I wanted to pay it forward by sharing some of my learnings in the hope that my experiences will also be helpful to others. Without further ado, ten lessons from ten years:

1. Own Your Choices. Many people questioned my joining Google in 2011 when Facebook was on the rise, leaving Search for YouTube in 2013, and choosing to run the agency business vs. client direct in 2015. These roles have been everything I hoped for and more, but I was prepared for and comfortable with the possibility they might go awry. For me, the risk wasn't in the choices, but in making a key decision based on the opinion of others vs. my own instincts. 

2. Keep Asking ‘Why’. People become biased by their own experiences, leading even the most well-intended and sophisticated to thinking that can be limited or unique to them. Many thought the world didn’t need another browser; Chrome begs to differ. I have done multiple jobs at Google that originally “couldn’t be done from New York.” Seek a broad range of perspectives (to challenge yourself!), get to why people believe things, and incorporate what resonates to form your own perspective.

3. Model Excellence. Know what excellence is in your role and strive for it. You’d be surprised, not everyone does. As a leader, that includes setting vision, providing clarity for your team about what that vision means, showing them examples of what great looks like, and holding them accountable to it. For me, apprenticeship has been the way to figure it out myself or teach others. People rise to the expectations you set - set them high and help them get there.

4. Prioritize Pithiness. The dictionary definition is “concisely and forcefully expressive”. Be specific, have a point, take no more words than you need to get there. The more complex the world gets the more this quality matters for decision-making and leadership. It’s a lost art for many. Work at it and you will achieve more, faster.

5. Bend the Curve. 20% of your actions are the ones that will bend the curve in your job, your career, and your life. Who you marry, a key role, a couple of specific investments will make the difference, in hindsight. I would not have the career I have today without my supportive husband, and I can point to 2-3 key decisions that disproportionately drove my impact in jobs I had for years. Beyond the daily must-dos, make sure to seek and prioritize opportunities that truly bend the curve. Don’t settle. The scale of Google requires remembering that every day.

6. Fret Less. People have a tendency to disproportionately worry about mistakes and overweight risk. I once sweated an entire weekend about a public exchange I’d had with my boss where I was over the line. When I profusely apologized on Monday, he had no memory of it. Similarly, in healthy workplaces, people typically overestimate the risk in making bold choices or speaking candidly about the business. Let the worry go; it’s slowing you down and not helping you.

7. Overweight the Future. A lot of hand-wringing over decisions can be eliminated by applying the, “Will this matter a year from now?” test. The answer is mostly no. This test has been invaluable for me in evaluating personal vs. professional trade-offs (will anyone remember I wasn’t at this one boss’s offsite - nope - vs will my son remember I missed his recital - likely). Look ahead when choosing roles or projects, or deciding in which business area to invest.

8. Know Your Worth. Know what sets you apart from others and lean into opportunities that require those qualities. Be clear about why your comparative advantage matters. Delivering unique value day in and out affords you tremendous power to get what you need (support, flexibility, fair compensation) without compromising impact or career growth. It also helps you let it go when your boss yells at you for missing his/her off site for that recital! 

9. Say Yes. Today, people seem to focus more on how to say no; find ways to say yes. Whether a product (people thought the world didn’t need another email when Gmail launched) or a project (I joined my first public board based on purely optional work I said yes to a decade earlier), opportunities arise from saying yes. Even when you can’t see them right away.

10. Be the Champion. Of people and teams, of ideas and moments, of possibility. It’s important to be tough on the work, even while you’re gentle on the people. That’s what drives great outcomes. But celebrate what is brilliant, before - and after - what makes it better. You’ll enjoy the ride more and so will everyone around you. And you’ll make more progress. The world doesn’t need another cynic, it needs more champions.

These are just a few of the thoughts that come to mind as I contemplate the last ten years. The overwhelming feeling is gratitude. To Google and the incredible people I work with, to our new hires in particular for always reminding me what a special place this is when years of familiarity jade my thinking, to our clients, partners, and users who always make us better and make the job worthwhile, and to my husband and boys for making these ten years possible and as rich as anyone could ask. Wishing you all the peace, joy, and fulfillment that comes from being grateful for the opportunities you have, and look forward to learning from your lessons!

I would love it if you would share below your learnings from the past ten (or however many) years, from wherever you've spent them. We all learn better, together!