The Secret Art of Micromanagement with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

People aren’t born great leaders. They learn to become great leaders. For Brian Chesky, the learning never stops. As the co-founder of AirBnB, he had to transition from an impassioned entrepreneur with a brilliant idea into a CEO responsible for thousands of employees. To make the hard decisions necessary for AirBnB to survive the COVID pandemic, a cataclysmic event for the travel industry, Brian had to lean into the skills and thinking he’d learned and practiced for over a decade of leadership. I’ve watched Brian grow as a leader for years, and so I was delighted to sit down with him for a conversation on what people get wrong about great leadership. He shares with me the difference between micromanagement and “eyes on” leadership, why leaders should fight the instinct to be liked, and why an existential crisis is the best thing to put a company’s values to the test. This…is A Bit of Optimism. For more on Brian and his work, check out: https://www.airbnb.com/ ⏰ Timestamps 0:00 The difference between founders and CEOs 2:46 The worst business advice Brian ever followed 6:46 Why numbers are not the language of business 8:29 When to command and when not to 12:32 What is micromanagement? 15:55 What bodybuilding taught Brian about leadership 17:52 How Airbnb survived COVID 21:27 Brian’s first actions during the pandemic 25:42 How to stay humble and growth-minded 30:35 Hire according to your values 33:55 Strong cultures versus weak cultures 39:18 A new vision for Airbnb 41:42 Brian’s succession plan + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek Simon’s books: The Infinite Game: https://simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game/ Start With Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/ Find Your Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/find-your-why/ Leaders Eat Last: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/ Together is Better: https://simonsinek.com/books/together-is-better/ + + + #SimonSinek