The eighth Google Leadership Lesson is:

Build a profitable model and brand – personally & professionally

We should live within our means both personally and professionally. We should stretch ourselves to reach for the pinnacle, not by living in debt up to our eyeballs or raising capital where we can never produce a solid return, but thoughtfully, deliberatively, and realistically.

Google has done a tremendous job of building value for their shareholders for many reasons, but having a growing and profitable business is a key component. Sure, they raised capital. Yes, it took time for them to find their way to new media. In the end, they have a highly profitable model with a compelling value proposition. The revenue model or profit model by which they run their business is sustainable, even in the face of inflation and the speed of research and development.

We should guard our brands against making bets upon which we cannot deliver. Yes, we need to take risks and challenge ourselves, but that does not mean stepping on a field where we know we cannot win. It means playing the game we have chosen to the best of our abilities and building a great foundation on which we can stand. This takes time and, in the case of Google’s model, a bit of good fortune.

Summing-up: Google was in the game. They played hard, followed a set-upon strategy, and built a profitable model on which their brand has become a giant. Let’s do the same in our personal brands and businesses.