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PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS;
A Review on Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai

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 Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................4
2. Sundar Pichai Case Study Review.......................................................................................4
 Key behavior and skills......................................................................................................4
 Positive effects and qualities..............................................................................................4
 Impact on Google and Google employees.........................................................................5
a) Covey’s 7 Habits...........................................................................................................5
b) The CMI Code of Conduct...........................................................................................6
3. Personal skills appraisal........................................................................................................7
a) Self-Assessment Test.......................................................................................................7
b) Gibbs reflective cycle......................................................................................................9
c) Effects of the results on my employability......................................................................10
4. Discussions to improve Weaknesses...................................................................................10
a) Techniques and strategies to improve weaknesses.....................................................10
b) Action Plan to improve on these weaknesses..............................................................11
5. Conclusion............................................................................................................................12
Referencing list.............................................................................................................................13

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 1. Introduction
Personal effectiveness within the workplace is amongst the most looked-for qualities in
employees. This quality is commonly found in individuals who set up high goals and are
motivated to work for achieving them. Such qualities help people in achieving professional and
personal aims, they instill skills and drive for achieving leadership (My vision of leadership,
2022). Personal effectiveness instills leadership and organizational skills such as decluttering,
managing personal stuff etc. in an individual. Personal effectiveness enables an individual to
prioritize and plan their work in accordance with the assignment’s significance; this produces
focused and proficient work. In today’s world, personal effectiveness is a vital skill to advance in
career as a professional as well as for living a satisfied personal life. Regardless of the
professional job role, personal effectiveness helps in increasing productivity, progress in one’s
career, achieving deadlines timey and effectiveness in using available resources (BLOG 4:
Leadership & Change, 2022). This report aims to examine the importance of personal
effectiveness by evaluating the performance, behavior and skills of Google CEO; Sundar Pichai.
Furthermore, the impact of Sundar Pichai’s skills on the company and his subordinates will be
examined. In addition to this, a personal skills evaluation will be conducted according to relevant
models of organizational behavior. Lastly, the report will include the methods / techniques to
improve personal effectiveness in personal as well as professional life.

2. Sundar Pichai Case Study Review

Key behavior and skills
Sundar Pichai is Google’s Chief executive officer, who has been working for google for 15 years
now. He is known for his contribution by pitching in the idea for google chrome. He has worked
hard over the years and has found his place in the executive team of Google and its parent
company Alphabet. His journey in Google begins from a rather humble background, he started
off in the product management department as a vice president. One of his qualities gauged by the
interviewers were his honesty and humbleness. Later, in 2006 he pitched the idea that it wasn’t
very feasible to use toolbar for searching; this was the time when Bing and Internet Explorer was
widely used. His idea was turned down due to its expensiveness by his seniors. However, he kept
working on his idea and pitched the idea again. His idea was then accepted and that is how
Chrome into existence (BLOG 4: Leadership & Change, 2022).

Positive effects and qualities

One of the personal effectiveness qualities instilled inside Sundar Pichai is his ability to foresee.
His ability enabled him to see the prospective of Google Chrome. Today, chrome is the most
used browser and is pre-installed in smart TVs, android smart phones and laptops. He supports
the usage of artificial intelligence and inclusiveness.
In addition, Sundar has been supportive and loyal to the company. He was reportedly offered
higher pay and higher job title offers from organizations such as Microsoft and Twitter.

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However, Sundar made a choice to stay at Google. Later on, Google offered him the job title of
the CEO. This is one of his qualities that makes him an effective employee in the company.
Personal effectiveness also entails high moral grounds and handling office politics. Sundar
Pichai has been successful in practicing these qualities. In 2018, Google offered him the payment
for restricted stock; Sundar gracefully rejected the offer. This was followed by another act where
he refused 2-year salary offered by the company. According to his former boss as a product
manager; Sundar had an impeccable quality of not making any enemies at the workplace. In
terms of office politics, Google like any other organization has internal office politics. Sundar,
has been able to navigate his subordinates into completing the tasks timely while not harming the
other team (BLOG 4: Leadership & Change, 2022).
Moreover, personal effectiveness requires team building qualities. Sundar possesses the quality
to hire, supervise, mentor and retain the teams. He has the ability to carry his team effectively
through performance, assertive views and opinions; this is what makes him one of the most
popular executive officer. His assertive nature has often led him to answer questions posed by
the media that involve Google as well as other organizations.
Impact on Google and Google employees
Sundar Pichai as an individual, possesses qualities of personal effectiveness. But being a CEO,
each step and personal attribute has an impact on the company and on all his subordinates. This
impact can be gauged by applying certain theoretical frameworks such as Covey’s 7 Habits and
The CMI Code of Conduct.

a) Covey’s 7 Habits
In 1989, Stephen Covey published 7 habits that improve a person’s lifestyle and quality by
instilling personal effectiveness. He termed this theory as a vital element for personal
effectiveness to pave the way to success (Covey, 2022). According to Covey, the following three
qualities are necessary to create habits for success;
 Knowledge
 Motivation
 Skills
Following are the 7 habits presented by Stephen Covey (Covey, 2022);
Proactive approach
Various researches have supported the statement that the model of 7 habits enables individuals to
become responsible and proactive in their approach towards personal and professional lives.
Every individual is responsible for all their decisions and the repercussions. The situation,
conditioning and genetics cannot be blamed; being reactive will impact the physical conditions.
However, a proactive approach aids in gaining a positive outlook, behavior and motivation. The
google CEO Sundar Pichai has the habit to act proactively and focus on the positives instead of
the negative aspects beyond control.

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Setting clear goals in mind
As the name suggests, the goals and objectives must be clearly set to reach the aims. Prioritizing
steps and setting an order / roadmap to reach success is important for personal effectiveness.
Stephen Covey suggested that mental plan reflects physical creation. Sundar Pichai impacted
Google and its employees through setting clear goals. He gauged the importance of technological
advancement (My vision of leadership, 2022), this led to creation of Google Chrome that has
benefitted millions of users. He believes that creative effort and imagination lead to alignment of
personal principles and values.
Prioritizing and maintaining discipline
This rule entails putting first things, first. Individuals must be able to say Yes and No on the
basis of importance of things. Personal effectiveness enables a leader to focus on opportunities
rather than the threats; and working to achieve their goals. Sundar Pichai maintains a positive
attitude and sets priorities, he has no fear to say no when it is needed (My vision of leadership,
2022).
Building high mutual trust
Collaborating and building high mutual trust results in situations that will benefit everyone
(Covey, 2022). Working in teams and establishing a partnership enables each individual to pay
more attention in following goals. Sundar Pichai knows how to navigate through office politics
and work with subordinates, without harming anybody.
Understanding others and listening actively
This entails influencing the subordinates and partners by understanding and listening to their
needs (Covey, 2022). This improves the process of understanding each other and promotes open
freedom of expression. This also prompts the idea of rational and open thinking. The CEO of
google; Sundar Pichai has always preferred open conversations to make his subordinates and
partners feel heard (My vision of leadership, 2022).
Synergizing
This habit calls for innovative exchange of ideas to manage the stakeholder interests (Covey,
2022). Sundar’s top qualities have involved innovation and assertiveness that help to balance the
interest of all the stakeholders.
Renewing yourself
This habit involves renewing your own self on four grounds i.e. physical, social, spiritual and
mental (Covey, 2022). Pichai involves his subordinates into working every day to become better,
more motivated, more active and start work with a clear mind every single day (My vision of
leadership, 2022).

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 b) The CMI Code of Conduct
The CMI or Carbon Market Institute Code of Conduct is adopted by managers to work on
professional behaviors, integrity, competence, management practice and honesty. Researchers
claim that professionals who practice this code of conduct can deal better with abrupt changes or
any similar situations in their personal and professional lives (Code of Conduct - CMI, 2022).
This code of conduct was initially created to help the employers in increasing productivity and
for leaders to become socially responsible. It involves the following standards (Code of Conduct
- CMI, 2022);
 Openness, honesty and trustworthiness
 Acting for best interest of all stakeholders
 Positive impact on the society
 Maintaining professionalism and competence
 Respecting co-workers
 Maintain organization’s reputation
As examined through the analysis of Sundar Pichai’s professionalism and organizational
behavior; he fulfils the criteria and standards of the CMI Code of Conduct. From personal
effectiveness to competence, optimal use of resources and management of activities; Sundar
Pichai holds up to the standards of code of conduct and personal effectiveness. However, the
code of conduct has 5 stages of training at CMI that involve different managers on various job
titles (Code of Conduct - CMI, 2022). These stages are as follows;
Stage 01; for aspiring leaders and new entrants of management teams.
Stage 02; project officers and supervisors, and other existing managers that are responsible for
the performance of their teams.
Stage 03; operational managers, regional managers, department manager and charter manager,
and all middle managers that have the autonomy and supervise the subordinate manager.
Stage 04; professional manager, senior manager, directors, and other senior managers who drive
long term businesses and activities.
Stage 05; executives and strategy makers, CEOs and managing directors who are responsible for
setting strategic positions of the organization.

3. Personal skills appraisal

a) Self-Assessment Test
Personal skills assessment helps to examine personal behavior and skills for individuals for
identifying strengths and to overcome any weakness (Human Factors: Management and Self-
Assessment, 2022). These tools are helpful in accessing personal preferences to choose job titles

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and to make a career choice. A personality tests has a 5 point criteria, we will further discuss
these 5 points and analyze myself in these abilities;
Openness
The ability to think out of the box, being adventurous and creative. People who possess such
ability are intellectuals who are open to new experiences and new ideas. People who lack this
ability are the ones that practice traditional solutions to problems (Human Factors: Management
and Self-Assessment, 2022).
Personal assessment; In my opinion, I don’t lack the ability to communicate openly. People
often believe that this might come from an area of over-confidence. However, I believe in
accepting and trying new ideas, new discussions and new beliefs. I tend to enjoy when I am
opening up to new and non-traditional ways of solving problems.

Neuroticism
The trait that enables individuals to go through excessive anger, anxiety, shame and sadness.
Some people tend to get triggered or get affected much easier than the others (Human Factors:
Management and Self-Assessment, 2022).
Personal assessment; I don’t get triggered easily, I have proper control over my temper and my
anxieties. Everyone has bad days, but in a professional and personal space I am good at handling
stress, anxiety and fear.

Extraversion
This ability describes if a person is outgoing or not. A person can naturally be an introvert or an
extrovert; or a past trauma might affect it too. The people who possess the ability of extraversion
and social and face no difficulty in interacting with new people or forming new friends (Human
Factors: Management and Self-Assessment, 2022).
Personal assessment; I would give myself low scores in extraversion ability. I am not very
outgoing and I face difficulty if I meet new people without having prior knowledge of meeting
them. Abrupt meetings and huge crowds make me nervous at times.

Agreeableness
As the name suggests this ability involves agreeing to others needs. This might come off to some
people as a selfless ability. Conversely, others might perceive it to be considerate. However, this
ability endorses cooperation instead of competition within organizations (Human Factors:
Management and Self-Assessment, 2022).

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Personal assessment; When it comes to agreeableness, I would say that I am not easily
agreeable. However, I am empathetic when it comes to listening to others or understanding
anyone’s needs. I can be open to people who have rational points to make and are knowledgeable
about things they are talking about. I would score myself above average.

Conscientiousness
This ability allows individuals to practice self-discipline. People who possess this ability are
generally very organized and laid back, they do not hurry into reaching the desired goals. They
prioritize their responsibilities and act on them with complete focus. Anyone who has a low
conscientiousness lacks long term focus and planning (Human Factors: Management and Self-
Assessment, 2022).
Personal assessment; I would give myself a below average score in this self-assessment as I
believe that I lose my focus easily. Especially when it comes to balancing short term and long
term goals, I also face issues with prioritizing my objectives. I have problems in aligning my
goals and my focus.

Concluding the self-assessment test results

Based on the test, I have a high score in Openness, low scores in Neuroticism and
Extraversion, and average scores in Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. In the next part of
this report, I will evaluate the effects of these scores on the prospects of my employability in
future.

Gibbs reflective cycle

The Gibbs reflective cycle has 6 stages, the purpose of this cycle is to help me analyze and
reflect on my personal effectiveness test (Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, 2022). This cycle helps in
analyzing by doing or learning through experiences. I will reflect on my personality test through
the Gibbs cycle and see how my weaknesses and strengths can affect my employability (Gibbs'
Reflective Cycle, 2022). My case in point for this cycle will be communication problems, as I
get most affected by the fact that I lack communication skills.
Step 01; Description
It was my first day at a part time job. I prepared myself well for first day, I was mentally
prepared to meet new people at work. But, while I was given brief regarding the work; I could
not gauge the ability to ask questions and queries. During 3 months of work there, I could not
socialize with teammates, couldn’t raise concerns with team leader and felt lonely.
Step 02; feelings

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 I have always been an introvert, which makes me uncomfortable during communications with
new people. While I worked there for three months, the teammates were very professional yet
very welcoming. They would often ask me to join them during snack or lunch break, but my
introverted nature did not let me socialize with anybody. My team leader too, was considerate
and noticed my shyness. He would ask me if I needed something and was patient. But I was
never able to communicate my queries.
Step 03; Evaluation
After evaluating my time at the office, I know that the problem was not the teammates or the
team leader. However, it was my introverted nature that caused problems in communication and
I ended up feeling lonely and left out, although everyone in the team wanted to include me.
Step 04; Analysis
Now that I think of it, my time at the office could have been better if I accepted the offers when
everybody wanted to include me. Sometimes, sitting with people breaks the ice and you become
more comfortable at the workplace.
Step 05; Conclusion
My takeaways from this incident were that, I need to stop overthinking, I need to listen more
carefully as it can help me gauge other’s intentions towards me. In future, calming myself down
during anxious situations and focusing more on what is important should be on my priority.
Step 06; Action Plan
The plan to improve this is to take notes, become a better listener to understand other’s point of
views and intentions, and also to take a cognitive therapy session to help my anxiety. It might
also be beneficial for me to socialize more and pull myself out of my personal comfort zone.
b) Effects of the results on my employability

i. A good score in Openness states that I am good at welcoming new ideas and an interested in
out of the box experiences and ideas. I don’t get scared of trying non-traditional ways to
solve a certain problem. For my employability, this can be an advantage as modern day
organizations prefer and welcome innovation and openness to new ideas. However, this
might also be a problem when it comes to focusing on doing things exactly how they should
be done without excessive experimentation.
ii. A lower than average score on Neuroticism refers to being less responsive to negative
emotions and anxieties. I am good at controlling my nervous emotions and can work under
pressure. This can be an advantage in a competitive work space, where I can work better than
anyone who responds quickly to stress. This also represents that I can move on from a failure
or a straggle way quicker than others.
iii. A low score in Extraversion implies that I am usually uninterested in social interactions.
This can be a major drawback in my employability as I can fall back in communications

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 within and outside the workplace, and feel non-motivated at times. Being an introvert can
cause fall backs in my communication skills, social achievements and events.
iv. An average score in Agreeability implies a moderately assertive personality which also
refers to increased chances of disagreement and conflicts with people in the work space.
However, I do have an empathetic side and have the ability to listen and welcome new ideas.
Which implies that I might not be easily agreeable but can welcome a difference of opinion
based on the situation.
v. An average score in Conscientiousness refers to losing focus often and getting easily
distracted. This can be a drawback in my employability as I can be distracted, unfocused and
non-diligent at times. I can also face issues in prioritizing important tasks.

4. Discussions to improve Weaknesses

a) Techniques and strategies to improve weaknesses

The theories and strategies that can help me to improve on my weaknesses are resilience and
management. I can incorporate the Theory of Hardiness to improve on my weaknesses related to
conscientiousness and extraversion. Kobasa presented the theory of Hardiness in 1979 (Funk,
1992). She presented the 3 C’s of Hardiness to maintain healthy work life balance and to
improve weaknesses. The three C’s include (Funk, 1992);
Commitment; this involves becoming more curious and motivated to focus on meaningful and
significant things (Funk, 1992). This also involves actively prioritizing important tasks and
staying alert. This can help me in improving my problems with prioritizing and staying
motivated.
Control; this increases morale by believing that things are not out of control and can be handled
(Funk, 1992). This can help me in controlling communication problems by being less stressed
and believing that I am in charge of the situations.
Challenge; this refers to normalizing situations that seem like an obstacle (Funk, 1992). This can
help me in personal development as I can challenge myself to go out of my comfort zone and be
more comfortable in communication and help being more focused in life.

b) Action Plan to improve on these weaknesses

Weakness Course of action Measurement Time Scale to

gauge
improvement

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Low Extroversion  Training  Measuring work Approximately
 Critical thinking performance in daily 3 months
 Socializing tasks
 Feedback from
coordinates
Low Teamwork  Taking part in small group  Feedback 5 months
Spirit projects  Comparing teamwork
 Group discussions and and individual work
debates results
 Progress reports
Poor  Improving listening skills  Taking feedback 8 months
Communication  Taking notes for  Cross checking notes
communicating

Poor  Focusing on tasks by  Evaluate quality of 12 months

Conscientiousness challenging myself tasks
 Set goals and timeframe  Feedback
 Communicate with  Set higher goals after
coordinates achieving one

5. Conclusion

Personal effectiveness within the workplace is amongst the most looked-for qualities in
employees. This quality is commonly found in individuals who set up high goals and are
motivated to work for achieving them. One such individual is Google CEO; Sundar Pichai. He
excels as an example of personal effectiveness; he has all the qualities of a good leader. As
examined through the analysis of Sundar Pichai’s professionalism and organizational behavior;
he fulfils the criteria and standards of the CMI Code of Conduct and Covey’s 7 habits. In a self-
assessment of my personal effectiveness, I found that I had low scores in extraversion and
conscientiousness that can cause negative impact on my employability. I also conducted a Gibbs
reflective cycle to analyze my shortcomings and reflected on improving them. However, the
drawbacks can be overcome through following a theory of hardiness that focuses on
commitment, control and challenge. Furthermore, I designed an action plan to work on my
weaknesses, measuring improvements and approximate time scale for completing it.

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 Referencing list

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Available at: <https://www.managers.org.uk/about-cmi/governance/policies/code-of-conduct/>
[Accessed 13 April 2022].

Covey, S., 2022. 7 habits of highly effective people. [online]

Available at: <https://resources.franklincovey.com/mkt-7hv1/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-
people>
[Accessed 13 April 2022].

Cyprus. 2022. Human Factors: Management and Self-Assessment. [online]

Available at: <https://maritimecyprus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OCIMF-Human-
Factors-Management-and-Self-Assessment.pdf>
[Accessed 13 April 2022].

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2022. Sundar Pichai | Biography, Google, & Facts. [online]

Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sundar-Pichai>
[Accessed 13 April 2022].

Funk, S., 1992. Hardiness: A review of theory and research. Health Psychology, 11(5), pp.335-
345.

Leading in a Changing World. 2022. BLOG 4: Leadership & Change. [online]

Available at: <https://culcmeiyee.wordpress.com/2018/07/15/blog-4-leadership-change/>
[Accessed 13 April 2022].

My Leadership Journey. 2022. My vision of leadership. [online]

Available at: <https://culcevatan.wordpress.com/author/culcevatan/>
[Accessed 13 April 2022].

The University of Edinburgh. 2022. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle. [online]

Available at: https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection/reflectors-toolkit/reflecting-on-experience/gibbs-
reflective-cycle
[Accessed 13 April 2022].

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