Research Paper on Larry Page as a Business Leader

This research paper analyzes Larry Page's leadership style and approaches to change as the CEO of Alphabet Company. It includes a brief description of the organization, an analysis of the leader using leadership concepts, and a discussion of how he approaches change. Larry Page's leadership principles, models, and traits are also discussed.

Running head: RESEARCH PAPER ON LARRY PAGE AS A BUSINESS LEADER 1
Research Paper on Larry Page As a Business Leader
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date

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Introduction
Leadership involves guiding and leading other individuals in pursuit of their desired
results and goals. A business leader inspires and motivates other individuals in the process of
business activities so as to achieve the desired goals and objectives. For leadership to be of
relevance and enable the organization to achieve its desired goals and objectives there are several
factors that the leader should put into place so as to enable effective decision making and
leadership styles in the organization (Womack, 2015). The paper will identify the name and
position of one of the business leaders. It will then provide a brief description of the organization
that the leader works for. A discussion on the analysis of the leader using the concepts of
leadership will be provided. The paper will include a discussion of how change is approached by
the leader, how the vision and strategic direction for the organization was provided by the leader
and how change is managed by him. The paper will include a conclusion so as to give a general
overview of what has been discussed (Womack, 2015).
The name of the leader and his position
The selected business leader is identified as Lawrence Edward Page. The most common
name that is popular among other individuals and organizations is Larry Page. He is the CEO of
Alphabet Company. Larry Page is one of the best business leaders that have motivated their
followers and other employees to achieve the goals and objectives of the organizations that he
has worked for. Larry Page is an American citizen and his career is majored in internet
entrepreneurship and a scientist (Rushe and Theilman, 2015). He co-founded Google
organization with an individual that is identified as Sergey Brin. He was the former Chief
Executive Officer of Google Company before joining Alphabet. This was years before Alphabet

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was made and founded. Larry Page has worked as a CEO for Google organization for a period of
approximately fifteen years before joining Alphabet.
An analysis of the leader's organization
The alphabet is a multinational organization that is located in Mountain View, California
in the United States of America. The organization was incorporated in around October 2015. The
organization is the parent company of Google and its other subsidiaries. The other organizations
that are operating under Alphabet Company include Android, Google Maps, Search, Hardware
and Google Play among others (Rushe and Theilman, 2015). Larry Page and another individual
that is identified as Sergey Brin are the ones who came up with an idea of starting Alphabet and
making it be the parent company of Google and its subsidiaries. Alphabet Company is also
comprised of Capital G, Google Fiber, Loon, Calico, and Waymo among others. Some of the
Alphabet's subsidiaries have changed their names after leaving Google and joining Alphabet
(Womack, 2015).
The reasons for restructuring the organization are to increase the rate of accountability
and transparency in Google Company and its subsidiaries. Larry stated that making Google
organization operate under the new parent company is a great idea as it will make its operations
to be cleaner. The accountability and integrity of an organization are important in achieving the
required goals and objectives. Google is the main subsidiary of Alphabet Company followed by
other organizations. It acts as the umbrella Company or organization (Rushe and Theilman,
2015). The organization has also carried out several acquisitions after it was incorporated in
2015.

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An analysis of the leader using leadership concepts
Leadership is an ability that an individual can learn and develop. Leaders have the
responsibility of continued training, acquiring knowledge and experience so as to improve their
leadership skills. The concepts of leadership include the characteristics that a person has which
makes him or her be identified as an effective leader (Draft, 2018). The leadership concepts also
comprise of principles and models that are being used by an effective leader. Even though
effective leadership is acquired through the process of learning, the leadership skills and
knowledge of the leader can be influenced by his or her personal traits and attributes including
cultural beliefs and practices. Larry page uses several leadership concepts in his organization. He
has personal beliefs and traits that have made him be one of the most successful business leaders
around the world (Glowick, 2017).
One of the leadership characteristics that Larry Page has is courage. Larry Page had the
courage of coming up with an idea of Google and Alphabet Company and making them be
existing organizations that are very successful in terms of performance. Larry Page is a type of
leader who is confident of stating that he cannot know everything regarding the operations of
organizations. He instead welcomes every idea from his employees so as to come up with
effective decisions that improves the operations of the organization and makes the Company
achieve its future goals and objectives. It also took courage for Larry Page to create a new
holding company, that is, Alphabet and make Google organization act as a subsidiary Company
(Draft, 2018).
The other leadership trait that Larry possesses is having a character of creating visions
and being innovative. Larry had formulated the vision of Google Company before it was

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incorporated. He stated that the Company will be valued at approximately $100 billion. Google
Company grew and expanded to an extent of its value extremely exceeded the one that had been
stated earlier by Larry. The innovative ideas of Larry have contributed to his successful nature
of being an internet entrepreneur and scientist. The fact that he came up with ideas of making
Google Company be a subsidiary of Alphabet indicates that he has great visions that should be
followed by other individuals and leaders (Caspersz and Thomas, 2016).
Larry Page is also competent and effective. This has been depicted by the results of the
Alphabet Company since it started operating. He wanted the operations of Google organization
to be more transparent and accountable and this is one of the indicators that show how competent
and effective the man is. The operations in Alphabet organization are carried out in an effective
manner with every employee acting and following the example of their leader. This has
contributed to the production of effective and quality products and services making the
organization achieve a greater competitive advantage and a larger market share. Other leadership
traits that make Larry Page be one of the most successful leaders include effective
communication skills, integrity, straightforward, committed and authentic among others
(Caspersz and Thomas, 2016).
Leadership concepts also include the leadership models and principles that a leader uses or puts
into application. There are several models that Larry Page uses in his leadership style. One of the
models is a human resource model. This is a type of leadership model whereby an individual
interacts with the employees of the organization or the people that are working under him. In this
case, there is a relationship that is built between the leader and his subordinates. Larry Page
applies this model so as to inspire and motivate his employees to work towards achieving the
goals and objectives of the organization (Northhouse, 2014).

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The other leadership model that is applied by Larry Page is a political framework model.
This is a type of model whereby the leader is aware of what is needed and can achieve the goals.
Larry Page wanted to improve the transparency and accountability of Google Company and this
made him come up with an idea of developing Alphabet to act as its parent Company. Applying
the model of the political framework has also enabled Alphabet Company to acquire other
organizations and companies and make them operate as its subsidiaries. Leaders that use political
framework usually have visions of building and developing the organization so as to meet certain
needs or to fill the gap that exists in the current organization (Draft, 2018).
The other model that Larry Page uses as a leader is Symbolic Framework. This is
whereby, the leader acts as an example and other members follow. Larry Page is a good example
to his employees and other individuals (Lawrence, Ruppel and Tworoger, 2014). He usually
inspires his subordinates and makes them work towards achieving the desired outcomes of the
organization. The leader also motivates the employees so as to increase their morale for working
in Alphabet Company. This is one of the leadership models that have made Alphabet Company
improve its performance as compared to its competitors. In this case, therefore, Larry Page acts
as a mirror towards his subordinates (Lawrence, Ruppel and Tworoger, 2014).
There are several leadership principles that Larry Page has. One of the principles states
that for an individual to be an effective leader he or she should be aware of himself or herself and
he or she should also have self-improvement habits (Turner, 2014). Larry Page knew who he was
and has improved his leadership skills through training and experience. The other principle that
Larry Page has considered is making sound and effective decisions. This is because he consults
every stakeholder before coming into a conclusion regarding a certain decision that has been

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made. Larry also acts as an example to his subordinates and this is one of the most important
principles that a leader should have (Berson, Da’as and Waldman 2015).
The other principles that Larry Page has put into consideration include being proficient,
developing a good relationship with his subordinates, creating a sense of responsibility in his
employees and ensuring that every operation in the organization has been carried out effectively.
The leadership principles are necessary for effective management of an organization's operations
(Turner, 2014). This is important in improving the quality of services and products that are being
produced in the Alphabet. It also improves the efficiency in operations and reduces the
possibilities of mistakes and errors from occurring. Through these principles, Larry Page has
developed a team that has the spirit of working together and achieving the goals and objectives
of the organization (Berson, Da’as and Waldman, 2015).
How the leader approaches change
Approaching change in a positive way is important for every successful leader. Larry
Page is one of the leaders that view change as a way of moving the company or organization to
the next step. Larry Page is one of the change agents and he has mastered and learnt the art of
change. This has made him be an effective and successful leader (Hickman and Silva, 2018).
One of the factors that indicate how Larry Page approaches to change is his decision of creating
a new organizational structure. The organization's structure was changed in that Alphabet
Company was formed and made a parent Company of Google and other subsidiaries. Coming up
with such a decision indicates that Larry Page is a change agent who approaches change
positively (Hickman and Silva, 2018).

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The other factor that indicates Larry Page is a good change agent is by the fact that the
Alphabet has encountered several changes that have made it be more competitive around the
world. One of the changes includes acquiring other organizations that were not under Google
Company before. For instance, Motorola Mobility is one of the organizations that have been
acquired by Alphabet Company after it was established. Technological changes have also been
made in Alphabet organization. This has led to improved customer services leading to an
increased number of customers and the market share of the organization. The changes that have
been experienced in Alphabet Company since its incorporation indicate that Larry Page is a
change leader that approaches change positively (Augustine-Shaw, 2015).
Larry Page is also a good change agent through the way he approaches the decisions that
are being made by other individuals. Larry Page welcomes any innovative idea from his
subordinates. If the ideas are ones that will create a positive impact on the organization, he offers
support and makes sure that the idea is implemented into the organization. Creating an
organization's vision indicates that Larry Page is a change agent (Friman, 2015). This is because,
for an organization to achieve the goals and objectives that have been stipulated in its vision, it
should first accept certain changes. Larry Page understands that both internal and external
business environment keeps on changing. To adapt to the changes that are taking place within the
business environment, the organization should also undergo certain transformations (Hayes,
2018).
The other aspect that makes Larry Page to be identified as a change agent is his capability
to identify existing gaps in the organization. He identified that Google needed operations that are
more transparent as and accountable. This is a gap that was present in the organization before
administering the change of making Alphabet be the parent Company of Google and its

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subsidiaries. The leader also identified that processes and operations needed to be more effective
and efficient. This is what led to structural transformations in the organization (Kaufman and
Cletzer, 2017).
Larry Page also took effective steps while administering the change that was taking place
in the organization. He worked hard to ensure that every step in implementing the change was
carried out as required (Mayfield, Mayfield & Sharbrough, 2015). This is because if the change
process is not executed in accordance with how it was planned, it will be ineffective and the
outcome will not be as desired. Larry Page puts into consideration the organization's culture
while administering the change process. This is an effective way of introducing change into the
organization. It also ensures that the principles and values of the company have not been
distorted by the changes that have been made. This character trait indicates that Larry Page is a
good change agent and leader who should be emulated by other individuals that desire to be
successful leaders (Mayfield, Mayfield & Sharbrough, 2015).
How the leader created a vision and strategic direction for his organization
A competent leader is one that comes up with an authentic vision of his or her
organization and acts towards achieving the vision. Larry Page came up with a good vision of
Alphabet organization by first, determining the objectives and goals that the company needs to
achieve in the future (Glowik, 2017). The leader has a powerful sense of coming up with visions
as he shares his opinions with his subordinates. The vision statement in Alphabet Company is not
only recorded in Company documents, charts and other equipment in the organization, but it is
also practised through teamwork and cooperation (Schäfer and Schulz, 2018).

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Larry Page has a positive attitude and this contributed to his possibility of coming up
with an effective vision of Alphabet Company. Larry Page views the possibilities of certain
events occurring rather than viewing the challenges and impossibilities (Northouse, 2014). He
has abilities to solve problems and this makes it easier for him to identify the opportunities that
are present. This is one of the ways that has made Larry be a great leader that can come up with
effective visions for the organization (Freiling, 2016).
A good vision creates an effective strategic direction for a company. In order to offer a
strategic direction for Alphabet Company Larry has enforced on effective teamwork and
communication. Communication strategies have been put in place so as to ensure that every
member of the organization is informed on the matters concerning the changes that are being
carried out in the organization (Schäfer and Schulz, 2018). This is essential as it enables the
employees to know what is expected of them and this will be easier in achieving the
organization's goals and objectives. It also reduces the chances of resistance to change to occur
as the opinions of every stakeholder will be put into consideration during the decision-making
process (Freiling, 2016).
Incorporating ethical standards and values while coming up with the vision of the
organization is one of the most important aspects that were put into consideration by Larry Page
(Mea and Sims, 2018). This is because; the ethical values that are practised within an
organization determine the reputation of the company towards the public. Protecting the
reputation of the company is very important for the success of the organization. Larry Page has
ensured that all the values and principles of the organization have been followed and that the
organization's culture is also maintained. This has enabled the reputation of Alphabet Company

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to be good and thus increasing the market share and competitive advantage of the organization
(Mea and Sims, 2018).
How the leader managed change
Managing change involves how a leader makes the change process to be successful. This
will determine the results that will be obtained after the change process. Larry is a good change
management agent. One of the factors that indicate this is that he ensures that the change process
meets the planned cost and budget line. While Google's structure was transforming and Alphabet
was being formed, there were several costs that were met so as to make the implementation
process to be successful (Plotke, 2018). Larry Page ensured that the costs were as planned and
there were no ambiguous costs that rose up during the process. He accomplished this by ensuring
that the resources that were allocated for the change process were used effectively and that there
was no waste (Daft, 2018). He also ensured that the resources were effectively monitored and
supervised to prevent issues of fraud cases to arise. The internal control systems were also
competent in monitoring the activities that were being carried out (Goetsch and Davis, 2014).
The other factor that indicates that Larry Page is a good change management individual is
that the structural changes that took place in Google were carried out on time. The
transformation process experienced no delays and every step of the change process was able to
meet the deadline that was set in the plan. Effective time management skills indicate that Larry
Page is a good leader who can effectively manage the changes that may take place in the
organization (Frimann, Keller & Thomassen, 2015). Being able to maintain the norms and
practices of the organization also indicates that Larry Page is a good change management
individual that should be emulated by others (Vergauweet et al, 2018).

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Conclusion
A good leader is known by his results and character traits. This has been identified
through Larry Page, who is the CEO of Alphabet Company. Leadership skills are acquired
through a continuous learning process and experience (Maltorana and Smith, 2016). Being a
good leader involves applying good leadership concepts that comprise leadership characteristics,
principles and models (Martorana & Smith, 2016). A good leader is also one that is capable of
coming up with an authentic vision and strategic guidelines of his or her organization. He should
be able to approach change in a positive manner and manage it effectively. From the above
discussion, it is evident that Larry Page is one of the most successful business leaders around the
world (Vergauweet al, 2018).

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