During a Stanford Business School event, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed a two-part decision-making mantra he developed while studying at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, as reported by The Times of India, on Saturday, June 21.

The two-part mantra
Pichai outlined his philosophy as:

First, make decisions without overthinking, and second, recognise that most decisions are not permanent. 

He explained, “You making that decision is the most important thing you can do to move forward. It may feel like a lot rides on it, but you look later and realise it wasn't that consequential.” 

This mindset, honed during his IIT days, allowed him to break down overwhelming challenges into manageable tasks. “I think in some ways, I did learn it at IIT, you know, when you're preparing for exams or doing problem sets. It’s a way to cope with overwhelming situations by breaking them down into manageable parts,” he said.

Pichai also credited his mentor, Bill Campbell, for shaping his decisiveness as a leader. Campbell’s question, “What ties did you break this week?” pushed Pichai to resolve team deadlocks. This guidance, with the lessons from his student days, enabled him to navigate complex leadership scenarios.

The mantra has also been instrumental in guiding Google through significant changes. Pichai noted, “The higher up you are in an organisation, the harder the decisions that come to you. But it’s just another normal day at the office, and you keep going through it.”