A company is not a family with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky
May 21, 2024
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Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky discusses the importance of trust and compassionate leadership in tough times, emphasizing overcommunication, transparency in decision-making, and treating a company as a community rather than a family. The conversation also touches on the future of work, flexible arrangements, combating loneliness, and prioritizing well-being.
Leading with care in tough times is crucial for earning employee trust.
Overcommunication is better than undercommunication when building trust in teams and communities.
Deep dives
Brian Chesky's Journey from Designer to CEO of Airbnb
Brian Chesky, CEO and co-founder of Airbnb, shares his journey from studying industrial design at RISD to leading a global hospitality brand. He reflects on the early days of Airbnb, where the concept of trust was pivotal in convincing people to open their homes to strangers. Chesky emphasizes the importance of trust in building cultures and leading teams, highlighting the role of design in creating a system of trust within Airbnb's community.
Leading Through Crisis - Airbnb's Response to the Pandemic
Chesky discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic challenged Airbnb, leading to a significant drop in business and the need to consider layoffs. He shares the principles that guided Airbnb through the crisis, focusing on preserving cash, acting with all stakeholders in mind, and aiming to win in the next travel season. Chesky's approach to layoffs prioritized transparency, empathy, and fairness, with a focus on providing support and resources to affected employees.
Creating a Culture of Trust and Transparency at Airbnb
Chesky emphasizes the importance of maintaining trust within the company and aligning everyone towards common goals. By establishing a rhythm and cadence for collaboration, Airbnb fosters a sense of shared experience and purpose among employees. Chesky's leadership style involves regular reviews and structured product launches to create a cohesive and forward-looking organizational culture.
Innovation Beyond Borders - Airbnb's New Product Launch
Chesky unveils Airbnb's innovative product strategy, offering unique experiences that allow users to step into fictional worlds from movies, TV, and sports. He shares examples like recreating the house from 'Up' by Disney Pixar and the last remaining Blockbuster store. Chesky's approach involves marrying timeless ideas with futuristic thinking, creating extraordinary experiences for Airbnb users.
Brian Chesky, the CEO and cofounder of Airbnb, is firmly in the trust business. His focus isn't only on building a trusted platform for people to rent their homes to strangers — it's on earning the trust of his employees. Adam and Brian discuss how to lead with care in tough times, why it's better to overcommunicate than undercommunicate, what to expect for the future of work, and why a company should be treated as a community rather than a family. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts