But leaders must remember that the goal isn't perfection. The goal is to move things forward, and learn from mistakes.

"There are very few decisions that are extremely high stakes, where mistakes are going to have major consequences," explains Pichai. "It's the incremental decisions that lead to progress."

If your tendency is still to try and please everyone, ask yourself this question:

If my team fails, or if the company goes out of business, who will be happy?

Nobody, that's who.

So, if you want to be a better leader, take a page out Sundar Pichai's playbook and ask yourself:

"What ties did I break this week?"

Then, remember to:

• Prioritize those you want to please
• Pursue progress, not perfection
• See the big picture