It is often said that behind every successful person, there is a group of people who were not only the ones who made them reach their goals but also those individuals with which they share advice and discuss challenges. Larry Page, CEO at Google, has this trait as well–and it’s one we can all learn from!
If you are reading this article, there’s a big chance that you know who Larry Page is. If you don’t, well, he was born on March 26th, 1973, in Lansing, Michigan, where he attended the Okemos Montessori School and later enrolled into the University of Michigan Medical School, planning to become a doctor. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering in 1998, he met Sergey Brin, and together they co-founded Google Inc back in 1998.
Since becoming successful in life after his studies, Page has been involved in various other projects–including being a director at Stanford University and being elected to serve on the board of directors for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. So, here are some lessons to achieve your goals and be successful like Larry Page.
1. Failure is part of the process
“I think if you’re not afraid of failing, you get a kind of audacity.” – Larry Page.
Failure is part of life and must be accepted as such; it’s often we learn the most through failure. Success will only come with effort and thoughtfulness–failure can help you achieve both of these things!
He stated that the process of making mistakes is just as important as reaching your goal. It’s how you learn and move on from them. Only through experiencing a failure can we learn and be successful, and this theory has been proven to work!
2. Work towards solving a problem
“I think we’re doing something significant, something that has a shot at changing the world, and that’s very exciting.” – Larry Larry Page.
Not everyone gets an opportunity to work on something significant, but one thing is for certain, you need to have a goal! To reach your goals, you must be passionate about them and, most importantly of all. You must work hard towards solving a problem.
Through this process and this mindset, we can achieve something significant and change the world for the better!
3. Don’t try to do everything yourself
“For me, running a company is super exciting because I get to hire these amazing people who are much smarter than me.” – Larry Page.
Larry Page believes that the only way to solve really difficult problems is with a team of people. He has said that “our job as senior leaders is to make sure everybody in the company has great opportunities, and that they feel they’re having a meaningful impact and are contributing to the good of society.”
“You can do so much more with a team when you’re focused and you’re working together. So, I’m psyched!” – Larry Page.
4. Be yourself
“I think you need to be a little bit oblivious about what people think about you.” – Larry Page.
Being yourself is one of the most important things in life–because if we all were similar, we’d be the same person! So, do not look to what others are thinking of you or how they perceive you–instead, focus on being yourself and being true to your values and beliefs.
“Never be afraid to try something new.” – Larry Page.
5. Don’t limit your imagination
“The next important step is to make it so that devices have software that can understand and answer queries. We’re working on this with Google Now, which gives you just the right information at just the right time.” – Larry Page.
Larry Page has a way of making sure that his imagination works for him–and not against him! So, always use your imagination and never be afraid to step outside of the box–that’s where all the magic happens!
“I think it would be nice if everyone had access to knowledge. It would be good for the world. It would be good for democracy. It’d help people get educated.” – Larry Page.
6. Get rid of distractions
“People always ask me: what’s the next big thing? And I don’t know! I should have a better answer for you.” – Larry Page.
One of the most important things to do when aiming for success is to get rid of distractions–for this to happen, find your main goal and work from there.
Again, Page believes that you cannot work on a big project if you’re working on a lot of smaller ones–that is why it’s important to get rid of distractions and focus on what matters!
7. Think beyond today
“In the future, computers will be able to understand what we say, how we feel, and what our tongue is trying to say.” – Larry Page.
Larry Page believes that technology will soon understand how we speak and what our tongues are trying to say–if this happens, who knows what the future holds!
“It’s important not to let the waves of excitement and enthusiasm blind you. There are still technological challenges to solve, and we should take our time to make sure we get it right.” – Larry Page.
8. Take your time and don’t become consumed by the hype
“I’m not saying that hype is irrelevant, but I think people get too carried away, which inhibits progress.” – Larry Page.
Larry believes that entering into a state of excitement and feeling the need to work faster than ever has held back technological advancements.
“I’ve always been a little bit impatient, but if you want to do something significant, then you should take your time.” – Larry Page.
9. Make a difference
“When I was in college, part of me wanted nothing more than to drop out and make a company, but I knew that if I didn’t finish my education first, then I wasn’t going to learn what I needed to know, and it would be a big waste of time.” – Larry Page.
Larry Page believes that to have a significant impact on the world, you need proper education, which is why he imagines that he would not be where he is today without completing his education first.
“If I were down to my last dollar, I wouldn’t want it to be at the expense of making sure my kids were OK.” – Larry Page.
10. Don’t lose sight of what’s most important
“I spend more time worrying about our culture than almost anything else. Our culture is the foundation of this company, and preserving that as we grow is probably the most important thing.” – Larry Page.
Larry believes that it is important for all companies to have an underlying common value–an idea so strongly tied to one’s identity that it cannot be broken or lost.
“I’m not saying that hype is irrelevant, but I think people get too carried away, which inhibits progress.” – Larry Page.
11. Get rid of distractions and only work on what matters
“One of my favourite stories is when John Sculley got fired from Apple… And Steve Jobs was talking to him about what he should do next. He said he should do what he thought was most important, whatever that is. And Steve said no, it’s not about what you want to do–it’s about doing something great.” – Larry Page.
Larry believes that to be truly successful. You need to focus on the bigger picture–don’t get too caught up with doing one project at a time–think about what you truly want to accomplish in the long run.
“When I was in college, part of me wanted nothing more than to drop out and make a company, but I knew that if I didn’t finish my education first, then I wasn’t going to learn what I needed to know, and it would be a big waste of time.” – Larry Page.
12. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake or fail
“Even if you fail at something, there’s a feedback loop in your head that will tell you what to do next, and you can move on.” – Larry Page.
Larry believes that every bad decision is a chance for growth–if you indeed failed, then you have learned something that will bring you closer to your end goal.
“It’s important not to let the waves of excitement and enthusiasm blind you. There are still technological challenges to solve, and we should take our time to make sure we get it right.” – Larry Page.
13. Always be learning with an open mind
“When I was an undergrad, I took a lot of different courses, and I tried not to be too prejudiced about things.” – Larry Page.
Larry believes that the only way to learn truly is by being open-minded and open to new ideas and concepts (because you never know when you may find something interesting).
“I’m not saying that hype is irrelevant, but I think people get too carried away, which inhibits progress.” – Larry Page.
14. Be very careful about how you measure success
“It’s really easy to get caught up in the idea of momentum–I know I have been guilty of this in thinking about our growth rate. But if your initial idea is not that great, it doesn’t mean you should try something else less meaningful. It means you should take more time to think about what’s important.” – Larry Page.
Larry believes that hype and success based on numbers such as the number of users your website has or how much money you make can be very misleading–you need to come up with a better definition of success.
“It’s very important to make your team feel like they own the problems and you’re there to help them solve those problems.” – Larry Page.
15. Do it: trust yourself and trust your gut instinct
“I think everybody has that sense, but then you get all these distractions, and you forget about it, and then you don’t end up following through with what you think is the most important thing. So what I want to do is follow through on that and make sure we’re doing the right things.” – Larry Page.
Larry believes that your true self will always be able to recognize what’s truly meaningful–don’t ignore it!
“And you want to follow up on that and make sure that you’re doing the right thing.” – Larry Page.
16. Don’t just do something, sit there: inaction is just as important as action
“Larry believes that if you don’t have a competitive advantage, then your focus should be on making your competitors irrelevant” – Larry Page.
Larry believes that sometimes you need to take a step back and not do anything–observe.
“You don’t want to be so attached to something that if the world says no, you freak out.” – Larry Page.
Conclusion: 16 Life Lessons from Larry Page to Make You Successful
Larry’s advice is that if you want to accomplish something, then think about it and don’t be afraid to fail. Be open-minded and continue learning throughout your life; don’t get too caught up with doing one project at a time, and trust yourself and your gut instinct.
Do what feels right and try not to worry so much about what other people think; if you’re passionate about something, then do it.