Building Learning & Development at Airbnb

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #273: Chip Conley - How To Be Wise Beyond Your Years

The Learning Leader Show

"When you're the leader, you're the emotional thermostat for the people you lead."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • "An operating system unique to them. It defines how they operate no matter what the context is."
  • Understand Maslow's hierarchy of needs
  • A way of thinking about people
• The importance of being both a practitioner and an author
  • Having a finely tuned sense of your greatest strengths... And hire for the gaps
• "The capacity for holistic or systems thinking that allows one to get the gist of something by synthesizing a wide variety of information quickly." -- Pattern recognition
• How to develop self awareness:
  • Having an internal and external antennae
    • External -- "read a room"
    • Internal -- "understand your intuition" --> How to tap into your "gut brain"
    • The ability to be vulnerable is critical
    • Action: Journal, meditate, speak with a coach. Converse in a vulnerable way
• Why being part of The Learning Leader Circle is so valuable
• Stanford Business School classmate of Seth Godin
  • "Random Acts of Initiative"
• "When you're the leader, you're the emotional thermostat for the people you lead."
• "People get very attached to their identity."
• Learn to "listen to hunches and take chances."
• The story about the time Brian Chesky (founder of AirBnB) called him
  • "Instead of trying to prove himself, he was trying to improve himself."
  • We had an "EQ" for "DQ" relationship - Emotional intelligence for Digital intelligence
• A mentern = Mentor + Intern at the same time.
  • The importance of having a beginners mindset -- "Ask questions. Be catalytically curious."
  • The "modern elder" is as much a student as they are a sage
• Chip's inquisitiveness became contagious at AirBnB
• It's important to "intern publicly," and "mentor privately"
• There is progress to go from hubris to humble
• Wisdom: "Move out of trying to prove yourself, and instead work on improving yourself."
• As the leader, always ask: "How can I support you to do the best work here?"
  • Know you boss has your back -- Support
  • Put direct report in a role to create conditions to grow
• Set learning and development programs
  • The biggest gap at AirBnB was "understanding humans. There were 28 year olds leading 24 year olds."
• How to build an alliance with someone who disagrees with you?
  • Find some sort of alignment. Even the smallest amount is progress.
  • Find the intent...
• "We're all like plants/flowers. Look at the soil. If you're a sunflower in the arctic, you have to get out of there."
• "Make sure you have a boss that has the capacity to get you there."
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"Move out of trying to prove yourself, and instead work on improving yourself."

Social Media:

• Follow Chipon Twitter: @ChipConley
• Read: Wisdom @ Work
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 200: Keith Hawk & AJ Hawk -- Showing Up, Doing The Work, Earning Trust, Helping Others, Winning The Super Bowl, Celebrating #200

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom