A Journey from Humble Beginnings
Shankar Murali’s journey with Google began long before the company’s sprawling campuses and famous cafeterias became industry landmarks. He joined Google India during its modest early days, starting with a small team working on a pilot project codenamed
'Checkout'—Google's first foray into the world of payments. In those formative years, Murali was involved in designing the company's first models for risk and merchant reviews. The environment was intimate, with 'TGIF' meetings where any employee could openly ask questions of senior leaders, fostering a culture of direct communication from the very beginning.
A Career Forged in Change
Murali’s two decades at Google were anything but static. His career path reflects the company's constant evolution, taking him from one major challenge to the next. He worked on expanding Google's payments licensing across all 50 US states before moving to Dublin, Ireland, to build scalable compliance systems. From there, he transitioned to leading counterfeit operations within the Ads policy team and contributed to account security initiatives. Now an Engineering Analyst Manager in the Trust & Safety Payments division, his work involves protecting complex products like Google Cloud and Workspace from fraud and abuse. Murali notes that something changed every single year—products, problems, and leadership styles—and the people who thrived were the ones who welcomed it.
The Leadership Power of Listening
When reflecting on the most valuable lessons from his career, Murali points to something that sounds deceptively simple: listening. He recalls being puzzled early on when his own managers would simply listen as he described a problem, rather than jumping in with a solution. Over time, he understood their wisdom. By talking through a challenge, he often found the answer himself. He realised the best leaders created the space for their teams to think, a practice he now tries to emulate. This approach stands in contrast to the tech world's bias for immediate action, suggesting that true leadership involves empowering others to solve problems, not just providing quick fixes.
More Than Just an Open Ear
For Murali, listening is the foundation of a broader leadership philosophy. He champions the idea of staying perpetually curious and sharing knowledge, believing that “knowledge shared is the only knowledge that scales.” He also stresses the importance of leading by example, stating that he has pushed his teams to their limits, but “never from behind.” Empathy is another critical pillar; he advises leaders to assume good intent and remember that colleagues are often navigating unseen personal challenges. Rounding out his principles is the need to develop resilience—or “grow thick skin”—and to disagree with respect, which he calls non-optional.
The Enduring Value of Human Skills
In a world of algorithms and automation, Murali’s story is a powerful reminder of the enduring importance of human-centric skills. His ability to navigate two decades of constant technological and organisational change at one of the world's most dynamic companies was not just about technical skill, but about his ability to communicate, empathise, and empower those around him. By prioritising listening, he fostered an environment where teams could untangle complex problems and grow. His journey proves that in the long run, how you listen can be just as important as what you build.
