For the past three weeks, I have been working at Google, and the experience is one I will never forget about. The employees are amazing and the work is cutting-edge, rarely getting old or trite. More than just learning about the newest technologies though, I have learned about something that can’t be substituted with AI or upgraded by a micro chip: leadership. Leadership at Google is extremely unique as the structure of the company is often described as “flat”. This term refers to the fact that although workers do have supervisors, the general feeling is that everyone is on the same level. As one can imagine, this could make the boss’ job a little harder in telling people what to get done and when to get it done by. At Google, though, leaders do not rely on legitimate or coercive power, but rather look to referent power to motivate their subordinates. By relating to the people working “under” them and allowing them to adopt the work as their own, leaders at Google are able to lead people as casual workmates. This idea makes complete sense to me, yet, being in the military, I have not witnessed it much. There are clear divisions between ranks in the Army, and usually, your superior makes these divisions well-known.

I am not saying that one way of leading is better than the other; rather, they are two different styles for two different situations. Google recruits from the best universities in the world, and for the most part, does not need to watch closely over the work of its workers. Leaders in the Army, for whatever reasons, sometime have to keep a close eye on the subordinates below them to ensure the work gets done.

If nothing else, my experience at Google has shown me just another type of leadership and how effective it can be.