Running head: LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER

Larry Page: Google Co-founder and Change Leader Ashlea Anderson, Marissa Crain, Edward Francis, Stephanie Goins and Peter Kariuki North Carolina State University

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Abstract Larry Page, CEO of Google, has turned his company into a multi-billion dollar empire that continues to embrace and foster change in order to continuously impress and surpass expectations of its customers and employees in terms of technology and leadership.

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Rationale The Cherry Group chose to focus on Larry Page, Google co-founder, as the group consists of all Google users and is curious about Googles leadership and the method behind the madness of this highly successful organization. Due to the explosion in popularity of Google,

Google has immensely impacted and changed individuals and organizations. The Cherry Group recognizes that Google created change on multiple levels, including: how we use the Internet, how we use cellular devices, how we share information with others, how we gather information, how we view the world, how we advertise and how our personal security and privacy may be infringed upon. Introduction This research paper provides an insight to Larry Pages leadership style and management practices at Google, demonstrating how he qualifies as a change leader for this large organization. Background information about Page is provided, specifically focusing on his personality and character traits. The Google culture and environment is highlighted to portray the atmosphere that Page has influenced for Google. Methods regarding how the system operates within Google are examined to determine how Page facilitates this multi-billion dollar company. Barriers are considered to fully view the context that the organization operates in. Lastly, the great success that Google has accomplished with Page leading the way is illustrated in reviewing Googles achievements. Throughout, Google is paralleled with characteristics of a complex adaptive system. Personality and Leadership Larry Page grew up surrounded by parents who were not corporate titans yet individuals who had a passion for knowledge and discipline; they were teachers by profession. This part of

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Pages upbringing may have played a big role in the Larry Page we see today as a corporate leader of Google. Many contend that Page is a reserved, shy and private person who thrives on intellectual challenges and has developed the skills to handle the daily grind of running a business, along with the internal politics and external showmanship that comes with the job (Miller & Helft, 2011). Understanding Pages personality is critical to comprehending his leadership style and the role he plays as a change leader at Google. His lack of flamboyance that is usually associated with leaders of his stature was displayed when he reported on Googles financial

performance to Wall Street analysts, and everyone advised him to give a good spin on the issues in order to increase Googles market share. Instead he walked on stage, gave an exaggerated positive but vague statement and walked out, leaving the stage to his management team (Reiss, 2011). Page gave no vision for Google, neither did he play the game as was expected by typical Wall Street analysts. Why is this important? Google has been spending generously on staff salary increases and other items that are not considered wise by markets. Page understood that investing in his people may not be popular for the markets yet will ultimately determine how well his company does. This episode brings to fore Pages personality characteristics that are inherently different from most leaders at his level. He understands the different variations of status and power; most people with a need for status want to be popular and place a high price on status. Power motivates many, but for Page, his behavior suggests he has high need for power but very low need for status (Reiss, 2011). He will not pander to Wall Street as he strongly believes that American businesses are about improving peoples lives and not playing the market games of

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER reporting earnings that beat Wall Street expectations. Many leaders with low need for status, like Mr. Page, despise the values espoused by Wall Street. As Reiss (2011) states: and most importantly from a psychological standpoint, they don't discover, build, invent, or create anything. Page's values are competence and achievement (which are

motivated by a high need for will/power), not social formalities, popularity, and celebrity (which are motivated by a high need for social status). Larry Page appears to have a value conflict with Wall Street deeply rooted in who he is, or his personality. (p. 241). This aspect of Pages personality drives him to be one of the most influential change leaders in modern times and revolutionized not only Googles working culture but also the corporate culture in America. Pages upbringing coupled with his experience starting Google from scratch (and facing many challenges) shaped how he views other peoples audacious ideas. Page believes and consistently shares with his executives that they should pay attention to their crazy ideas and nurture them as they could change the world. Pages speech to Michigan Graduates as quoted on CNN Money (Elmer, 2011) When no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition (para. 8). This is at the core of his personality, he is very engaged in achieving what may be considered out of this world and consequently, he inspires his workers/colleagues at Google to aspire to accomplishments at this level. Part of this drive led Page to get involved in the early hires that came to Google. He made sure that these people shared in this vision of creativity and worldview. Most of the early hires have remained in Google due to this leadership approach. What is remarkable is that most of these people are living comfortably and are rich enough to even start their own companies to rival Google (Elmer, 2011), but they have committed themselves to working at Google. This is a strong testament of Pages inspirational

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER personality and leadership style that has endeared him to his colleagues at Google. A great characteristic of a change leader is the capability to influence others to achieve and go beyond their comfort zones. Page is also very quick and concise in his actions. People who have worked with Page say his insatiable demand for quick decisions and innovative ideas have lit a fire at Google (Miller & Helft, 2011). Pages intention is to speed up decision-making and product development inside Google while encouraging openness as a part of the corporate culture. He achieved this by cutting through big-company processes that have slowed things down. This again reflects his personality of stepping out of the conventional leadership style and encouraging a collaborative environment and an immediacy-minded attitude. This kind of

approach is definitely a great ingredient for change in an organization and a key characteristic of a complex adaptive system (CAS). It is obvious from these observations that a leaders personality can have a strong impact on the organization. It is an understatement to say that Larry Pages personality and leadership style are a reflection of what Google is today. Occasionally we see key decisions made at Google, whether it relates to internal culture or decisions on where and what to invest in, reflect Pages bold and sometimes rash personality. He is a great influence in determining how the organization is operated, and impacts the most changes as a result. There are numerous lessons many leaders can draw from this gentleman, as there are many lessons Page himself has to learn as he steers Google to greatness. Culture and Environment at Google Larry Page, along with the rest of the management team, worked to establish the laidback, fun, encouraging work environment that Google is known for. One of Googles Ten

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Things we Know to be True philosophies states, you can be serious without a suit. Google

team members are nicknamed Googlers and are all strategically hired with diverse backgrounds and personalities. They believe strongly in both team and individual achievements and strive to create a work culture that encourages this from each team member. Open seating, free-roaming laptops, and comfortable team strategy areas are just some of the environmental characteristics that describe the Google offices (www.google.com/about/company). They want to inspire and facilitate small-group thinking by keeping communication open and ideas flowing. By breaking down any communication barriers between employees and each other, as well as employees and their managers, both groups are more likely to exchange ideas and engage in meaningful, productive problem-solving activities. This open communication facilitates efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace (Tailby, Richardson, Upchurch, Danford, & Stewart, 2007). Page and the management team claim to invest heavily in their employees to make sure they are happy and comfortable at work. Very few employees have individual offices and cubicles are often shared. Google offices are equipped with game rooms, exercise facilities, colorful decorations, and on-site cafes with healthy food options (www.google.com/about/company). When the weather is nice outside, everyone eats and socializes on the outdoor patio. The friendly and welcoming culture that Google employees share makes those who leave the campus for lunch the oddballs. The meals are prepared by professional chefs and provided for free to employees at the Mountain View, California Global headquarters (Lohr, 2005). Employees are frequently seen riding bicycles and scooters from meeting to meeting or working on projects while swinging in hammocks or lounging on beanbags throughout the Googleplex office. Extracurricular activities like music groups, volleyball games, and ping-pong tournaments help employees to form relationships with

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER

members across the company. By providing opportunity for employee-employee and employeemanager interaction throughout the workday and outside of the office, Page is hoping to create a feeling of community among his teams (www.google.com/about/company). Most people can only dream about working for a company that makes going to work fun, rewarding, and convenient for the entire family. At Google, this is a reality that Larry Page and the executive team have worked hard to create. Even with the laid-back, colorful environment in the offices, Page and the executive team find other ways to motivate the Googlers and keep them happy at work. Plush salaries keep the employees living comfortably and the annual bonuses can range from 25 to 30 percent. Unlike most companies in the United States, Google offers up to twelve weeks of maternity or paternity leave at up to 75 percent of the employees current pay rate. Google even supports its families with a congratulatory grocery award of up to $500 for meals to welcome a new baby. Transportation is also available to employees from the Googleplex to the surrounding local areas (Lorh, 2005). Page has worked to create employee incentive plans that are sure to allow the employees to trust their employer and to feel secure in their jobs. Methodology Millions of Web sites exist on the World Wide Web and are at our fingertips to search and obtain information. However, people cannot process thousands of search results and according to Vise and Malseed (2008), Page and Brins vision encompassed a more holistic approach to delivering high-quality search results than anyone else had conceived of an executed (p. 54). The Google search engine combines information about links and words with other variables, requiring a lot of computing power to produce quality search results (Vise & Malseed, 2008). Through mathematical formulas and getting investors on board with search

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER technology that had no real business model associated with it, Pages scholarly research project evolved into a multi-billion dollar company that impacts the way we use the Internet, how we share and gather information, how we communicate, how we view the world, and how we advertise.

Larry Page strongly influenced Googles success by embracing and fostering change, and as Brandt (2009) states, Larry and Sergey not only went with the flow of change, they also accelerate the pace (p. 8). Page charges ahead with visionary plans in mind, while often not knowing where his idea is going, until he gets there. The drive to anticipate what futuristic possibilities there are with Google has altered industries such as computer hardware and software, telecommunications, broadcasting, and entertainment, in addition to shifting cultures and political systems (Brandt, 2009). Google has impacted the way we do business and go about our lives, on a daily basis. Pages simple, idealistic view of using the Internet to make the world a better place has provided an outlet and opportunities for likeminded enthusiasts to join the Google experience. Prior to the rapid growth of the company, Page was involved with interviewing all hires and still insists on interviewing each important hire. His interviewing process is more of an exchange of ideas rather than a set of questions. Page feels strongly about seeking to bring people on board who understand the companys culture of focusing on doing good things for the betterment of the world. Pages management system at Google may seem odd to others, especially in large corporations, yet the success of the company speaks for the effectiveness of Pages management paradigm. There is no strict vertical hierarchy and actually only a few levels of management exist prior to reaching top management. Employees change jobs frequently within the company,

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helping to keep ideas fresh and small groups of employees, consisting of five to six people, work on projects. Everyone is kept informed on what others are working on through an internal Google database where they can not only review the work of their peers, but also evaluate it and suggest changes; regular e-mails are also sent to keep everyone involved and lines of communication open (Brandt, 2009). Brandt (2009) simply states, Google is an idea machine (p. 176) and while some ideas may come for the top, the company is not centrally controlled and ideas may come from anywhere in the organization. Innovation is encouraged at every level at Google, leading to hundreds or thousands of research projects. These ideas are discussed and critiqued while gathering feedback and allowing ingenious ideas to be built upon rather than just being forgotten about. Of course some ideas are more practical than others but Page supports a collaborative environment and there is no telling where these ideas may take the company next. According to Brandt (2009), in regards to Page and Brin, Theyre like Harry Potter after he discovered he was a wizard and got his wand. You can expect great things from them (p. 228). Through Pages ceaseless openness for change, invention, allowing others to freely share their ideas, and collaboration within the company, hes created a groundbreaking organization that embraces the ideas of those within the system and truly allows the various parts of the system to work together to create innovative tools affecting how we acquire information and carry out our lives. Google is an open system where individual and system behavior is not predictable or controllable, causality is mutual, relationships are empowering, leaders are supporters, change is encouraged and at a rapid pace, goals and plans emerge rather than being clearly outlined, and direction is determined by many (Olson & Eoyang, 2001), rather than just Page and Brin. These characteristics constitute Google as a complex adaptive system, avoiding

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER bureaucracy, ready for self-organization, and open to evolving and adapting as the dynamic company heads into the future. Barriers to Success Over the past 13 years Google has infiltrated the arenas of search engines, social

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networking, advertising, mobile devices, email, and document management just to name a few. The organization has influenced the way we view the world, how we communicate and its applications have created a platform to increase interconnectedness between individuals and organizations. Considering this type of growth, success and implementation of change on such an expansive and societal level, Page and Google must battle hurdles that not only include multinational competitors, but government, policy makers, Pages own public image and even the growth of Google itself. Google has grown significantly beyond its origins as a search engine and is now a player in the advertising, mobile operating systems, document management and social networking arenas. Doul (2011) describes this as chasing growth. Casting such a wide net means that Page will be strategically up against large organizations such as Microsoft, Apple and Facebook, now the largest seller of online display advertising. He also faces local online advertisers such as Groupon and Living Social (Lee and Learmonth, 2011). All CEOs face the challenge of competition, however most organizational leaders do not push the envelope of innovation to the point of facing national governments, policy makers and regulations. Googles acquisition of Doubleclick in 2007 has already brought these issues to the forefront. Concerns over a monopoly in online advertising and the creation of such a powerful surveillance machine kicked off an investigation by US and European policy makers (Weitzner, 2007). As Page continues to expand Google and track personal information and online habits the

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question becomes What will a society be comfortable with? and How lenient will society be with privacy regulations? (Weitzner, 2007). Page not only faces issues around privacy but in contrast he also faces disputes around freedom. Not all countries have the same standards as the United States when it comes to the freedom of the Internet. Italy has criminally prosecuted three Google executives for a video that was posted which depicted a child with Downs syndrome being bullied. Italy felt it was protecting the fundamental rights of an individual, where Google felt the prosecution violated the principals of freedom, which is the foundation of the Internet (Barry, 2010). Doull (2011) quotes John Malone stating, the objective of a business is to keep growing until the competition or the government stops you (p. 3). Page now finds himself at a point where he is challenged by both. Even though Page is considered genius in many areas that make Google a success he is also described as lacking in personal style, avoiding the media, and off-putting. Page was recently criticized for the lack of attention and time he gave to a powerful investor constituency in a post-earnings conference call. Investors expected Page to outline his vision and mission for Google and instead he only spoke briefly about his optimism for the companys future then quickly signed off the call (Oreskovic, 2011). Olson & Eoyang (2001) describe the role of a formal leader as one who encourages information flow and shows interest in the personal needs of members of the organization. In this instance Pages leadership skills fall short. Although, often praised for the information and innovation that Page encourages throughout the organization his shyness and distaste for the limelight are viewed as detrimental to the organization. Some see Pages overall lack of interest in the details of the day-to-day that are needed to lead a business over the next decade as a critical weak point (Lee and Learmonth, 2011).

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Page personally describes his biggest barrier to Googles success moving forward as Google itself. He defines effective organizations as those who can make and act on decisions quickly. Page states in his personal interview at the Zeitgiest (2011), There are basically no

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companies that have good slow decisions. He realizes the importance of remaining a complex adaptive system as the organization grows. In a complex system every agent has autonomy and power over their own actions and decisions. As a leader, letting go of this type of control is difficult. However, when you create a truly participative environment there is no need for control (Olson & Eoyang, 2001). Accomplishments The impact of a change leader can be felt in a myriad of ways within an organization. Some of which are easily measureable, some more difficult to measure, and some that are potentially so abstract they cannot be effectively measured. Regardless, change is such a nebulous and wide-reaching concept that it must be defined in some way to determine if a leaders ideas, directives, and policies have helped to achieve the desired goal. Any leader will produce results but whether those results are positive or negative, desired or undesired, is the crux of the matter. One of the quickest, easiest, and most efficient methods of measuring an organizations capabilities is by comparing it to competitors in its business arena. As of 2005, Google was accumulating over 200 million searches daily roughly 50% of total Internet searches (Caufield, 2005). Since that time it has only grown and it remains the most used search engine on the World Wide Web, totaling over 83% of the search engine market share (http://marketshare.hitslink.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=4&clearaf=1). Alexa estimates that over 50% of Internet users across the globe visit www.google.com, making it the

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number one site for Internet traffic on the planet (http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/google.com#). Any organization that controls 80% of its market share in an open and competitive market is not just successful, but wildly successful. However, a tool such as a search engine is easy to produce in concept. The fact that Google can maintain such a large share of a field that competitors can easily enter demonstrates the effectiveness of the product, its utility, and its appeal to a broad base of users. These are the evidence of a companys leaders and its how Larry Page has helped separate Google from competitors in the search engine market. Since Google, Inc. is a business, it is important to consider the financial state of the company when looking at Pages effect. Ultimately, a company is judged based on its financial solvency and success. In that arena, Google has performed admirably and astonishingly well. In 2011, Google, Inc. ranked 92nd on the Fortune 500 list based on its total annual revenues (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/full_list/index.html, cited 25 Feb 12). Googles IPO, the initial opportunity for members of the public to purchase company stock, raised $1.67 billion, of which over $1.2 billion went directly back into the company (Choo, 2005). Quickly thereafter, the initial stock price of $85 rose on the back of high public interest to trade at more than $210 a share an almost 150% increase over its initial price (Choo, 2005). Since that time, the price of one share of Googles stock is four times as large, at over $600; a figure made even more impressive when considering that Google pays no dividends, so the only money an investor will ever make on the stock is if he is able to sell it at a higher price than its value at the time of purchase (Martin, 2011). Today, Google has a Market Value of over $156 billion, behind only Apple and Microsoft among comparable companies including Amazon, Ebay, and Yahoo! (www.nasdaq.com, cited 25 Feb 12). There are various financial measures to

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determine a companys value, but no matter which measure is used, Google is clearly one of the most successful technology-based companies in the world. However, beyond its monetary success, the results of Larry Pages leadership approaches have allowed Google to have far-reaching impacts beyond just its business sector. Googles unofficial motto is Dont Be Evil (Vise, 2006). With this motto driving their corporate culture as well as many of their business decisions, Google, Inc., in 2005, created Google.org as a philanthropic arm of their company (Vise, 2006). Through this branch of the organization, which defines its mission as develop[ing] technologies to help address global challenges and support[ing] innovative partners through grants, investments and in-kind resources (www.google.org), Google is able to fund and provide new tools to assist others. They have created technologies such as the Google Person Finder, which is designed to help reconnect individuals who have become separated after a natural disaster, and the Flu and Dengue Trend, software that uses search information to pinpoint potential outbreaks of the flu or dengue fever early before they become more problematic (www.google.org). Additionally, Google, Inc. decided to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to aid research and development of renewable energy resources. Ultimately, the goal is to bring the cost of renewable energy down to a level that is competitive with the cost of energy produced by coal (n.a., 2008). Page was also instrumental in founding the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) in 2007 whose stated goal is to reduce global CO2 emissions from the operation of computers by 54 million tons per year (www.climatesaverscomputing.org/about). Googles actions are felt not only in the financial environment, but also in the natural environment, in ways that many organizations are unable or unwilling to do.

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Google is a unique company, often discussed for its generally relaxed work climate and its opposition to many standard assumptions of how a company should be run. While some admire Google, it has its share of detractors as well. After the first quarter 2011, Googles stock dropped more than 5% despite solid profit margins based largely on Wall Streets disapproval of Larry Pages report as CEO (Martin, 2011). His report to Wall Street investment firms didnt meet their expectations of a normal report and they sold the stock accordingly. While one can argue the methods, one cannot argue the results. Google, Inc. is one of the most profitable and successful technology-based companies in the world today. Page has shown that by bringing in new and innovative ideas and leaving behind mechanistic thinking and structures, a company can still be successful, both in business and philanthropy. Google acknowledges the other forces that act on its employees their need for family time, for time to work on their own projects, for healthy food options, for relaxing lounge areas, and other similar benefits. By recognizing the stressors in individuals lives and providing outlets for them, Google offers tangible evidence of the employees importance to the company as well as gives them a sense of value and self-worth. People want to work for a company like that and are willing to give their best to see the company succeed. They are no longer driven by factors such as money, power, or status, but by a sense of belonging and being a part of something bigger. Google has recognized this and demonstrated its willingness to embrace this new era of organizational theory and development. Its success as a company only provides further validation. The corporate job of tomorrow is no longer a ladder that has to be climbed while pulling down those on higher rungs; it is a vast, level establishment with minor hierarchies, bright colors, free food, and beanbag chairs.

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Conclusion With Pages leadership, Google has proven that it is possible to be successful using groundbreaking methods and not relying solely on theories and models of the past. Through

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Pages leadership, Google has impacted our everyday lives and continues to do so as technology evolves. Googles ability to adapt and adjust to future changes in culture and in the technological world will ultimately tell the tale of its success or failure. Pages willingness to encourage innovation and empower employees should provide a method for success.

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER References Brandt, R. L. (2009). Inside Larry & Sergeys brain. New York: Portfolio. Climate Saver Computing. (n.d.) About. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org/about. Doull, M. (2011). Googles awkward years. Adweek, 52(31) 17. Elmer, V. (2011, April 18). CNN Money. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from What would Larry Page do? Leadership lessons from Google's doyen: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/18/what-would-larry-page-do-leadershiplessons-from-google%E2%80%99s-doyen/ Google. (n.d.) Our culture. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from (www.google.com/about/company) Google. (n.d.) Our philosophy. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://www.google.com/about/company/tentings.html. Google.org. (n.d.) About google.org. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.google.org/about.html. Holland, P., Pyman, A., Cooper, B. K., & Teicher, J. (2011). Employee voice and job satisfaction in Australia: The centrality of direct voice. Human Resource Management, 50(1), 95-111. Leem E., & Learmonth, M. (2011). What Larry Page will be up against at Google. Advertising Age, 82(4). 1-34. Lohr, S. (2005, December 5). At google, cubes have new rules. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/

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LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Martin, R. (2011, April 25). Google flips off Wall Street. The Daily Beast. Retrieved from

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/04/25/google-stock-why-larry-page-valuesgreatness-over-share-price.html. Miller, C. C., & Helft, M. (2011, January 21). NEW YORK TIMES. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from Business - A Creator Prepares to Take the Reins at Google: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/technology/22google.html?ref=larrypage Nasdaq. (2012, February 21). Goog: stock quote and summary data. Retrieved Februay 21, 2012, from http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/goog. Net Market Share. (2012, February). Search engine market share. Retrieved February 21, 2012, from http://marketshare.hitslink.com/search-engine-marketshare.aspx?qprid=4&clearaf=1. Olson, E. E., & Eoyang, G. H. (2001). Facilitating organization change. San Francisco: JosseyBass/Pfeiffer. Oreskovic, A. (2011, April 19). Google CEO strains Wall Street relationship. Edmonton Journal, p.D2. Page, L., & Schmitd, E. (Speaker). (2011). Highlights Larry Page and Eric Scmitd at Zeitgiest Americas 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20G WvZE1Kyc. Reiss, S. (2011, April 26). Who we are. New ways of thinking about people. Understanding Larry Page. Psychology Today , 240-242. Weitzner, D. J. (2007) Google, profiling and privacy. IEEE Internet Computing, 11, 96-97. Vise, D. A., & Malseed, M. (2008). The google story. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Lessons Learned

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Page created a company in Google that many consider a Utopian model and others view as the wave of the future in the business world. Unlike many companies, Google is not as strictly hierarchical or mechanically designed. Individuals work in small groups throughout Google, but they float in between groups and can offer their inputs to projects outside of their specialization or on which theyre not working. Our biggest lesson learned from researching Larry Page is that it is possible, practical, and profitable to maintain a complex adaptive system (CAS) in an organization as large as Google. When only reading about CAS in theory it is hard to grasp how this type of organizational structure would play out in actuality. However, Page has created an environment that supports this type of organization effectively. His focus on achievement can be seen at all levels in the organization from the individual level, to team level and finally to Google Incorporated. These achievements are contributed to the fact that Googles culture creates an environment of free flowing communication and innovation. When communication barriers are removed it is easier for employees and teams to remain interconnected in spite of organizational level. Pages style of leadership spans organizational boundaries and creates a shared direction across lines of authority (Earnst & Chrobot-Mason, 2011). Page also makes it clear in his 2011 interview at the Zeitgiest Americas that maintaining this type of environment takes continuous effort and reinforcement from the senior leader. Even though he has nurtured such an adaptive system there is still concern that as Google continues to grow that it could move into a hierarchical structure which would obstruct the organizations ability to make decisions and react to the environment. A key take away here is that in an organization there has to be constant reinforcement of what leadership truly is throughout the

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER organization. The practice of leadership is no longer tethered to the belief that authority is unidirectional flowing from top to bottom. Rather the authority to think and act is

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multidirectional in that talented people must be empowered to collaborate at all levels (Earnst & Chrobot-Mason, 2011, p. 22). Page is excellent at using his leadership position properly in order to create change. While many leaders use an autocratic approach and believe they can foster change through directives and policies dictated from the highest levels; Page recognizes that change is created primarily from the employees at the lower levels. Google allows individuals to create change, adapt to changes, and promote new ideas. Page provides his employees with overall mission statements or goals, but he allows them to determine how the company will get there. This is a new concept of leadership aligned with the complex system school of organizational theory as opposed to the mechanistic school based on the teachings of Frederick Taylor. When Page took over from Schimdt, it was evident that Google was embracing its history to conquer the future. The startup culture is what propelled Google to achieve much of what they have so far. His pivot to workplace culture is what resonates with a CAS. These are some of his approaches in leadership that have exhibited an embrace of a complex system: Page sought to involve his team in setting strategic goals for the organization and identifying Googles vision in an increasingly complex business and tech environment. By creating an open environment, Page has encouraged a culture of free thinking and innovativeness where employees have freedom and are empowered to carry out tasks that are in line with Googles objectives and still availing himself for consultation and advice. Google culture is very result oriented. Everyone working at Google is focused on what and how their innovation can impact peoples lives. Pages personality qualities

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER demonstrates his focus is not on celebrity status but what his products can do to impact

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peoples lives while personally caring for the welfare of his employees. He has worked tirelessly to tear down roadblocks to innovation and take out bureaucratic impediments to creativity and effectiveness.

LARRY PAGE: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER AND CHANGE LEADER Resources

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Earnst, C., & Chrobot-Maston, D. (2011). Boundary spanning leadership. New York: McGrawHill.