The Airbnb Way

About the Author

Dr. Joseph Michelli helps business leaders and front-line workers create differentiated branding, compelling brand stories, high-performance cultures, and “craveable” customer experiences. His consulting services, presentations, and publications show leaders how to engage employees, elevate human experiences, master service skills, and innovate relevant customer solutions. He has been recognized globally for his thought leadership on customer experience design, as well as his engaging public speaking skills and his influential impact on service brands.

Main Idea

The Airbnb Way: 5 Leadership Lessons for Igniting Growth Through Loyalty, Community, and Belonging by Joseph A. Michelli explores how Airbnb has leveraged innovative leadership principles to build a unique brand in the shared economy. The book delves into five essential concepts: belonging, trust, hospitality, empowerment, and community, showcasing how these principles drive customer engagement and loyalty.

Table of Contents

1. Belonging
2. Trust
3. Hospitality
4. Empowerment
5. Community

Belonging

Make It a People Business

Belonging is a core principle at Airbnb, where the focus is on fostering meaningful human connections enabled by technology. Understanding customer needs involves studying human motivation, seeking partnerships with thought leaders, and listening to stakeholder feedback. The goal is to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.

"To create a world where anyone could belong anywhere." - Airbnb's "why"

To achieve this, Airbnb leadership follows three key steps:

• Study human motivation and needs: Learning from influential figures like Apple’s Jony Ive and Zappos' Tony Hsieh, Airbnb's leaders emphasize human-centric and frictionless design.
• Seek partnerships with thought leaders: Collaborations with experts like hotelier Chip Conley have provided valuable insights and innovations in hospitality.
• Ask stakeholders to share their needs: By gathering input from employees, hosts, and guests, Airbnb ensures its mission aligns with the needs and desires of its community.

Create Belonging

Airbnb hosts demonstrate belonging behaviors by actively listening, practicing empathy, and creating inviting environments. These behaviors lead to trust and stronger human connections.

• Empathy: Understanding the emotional state of guests to provide better service. For example, Superhost Cynthia Mackey thinks about unique experiences for guests visiting their grandchildren.
• Reading invisible signs: Interpreting nonverbal cues to meet guests' needs. Legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer emphasized making guests feel important by understanding their unspoken needs.

Empathy involves being aware of the emotional states of others and striving to understand their feelings and perspectives. Cynthia Mackey, a Superhost in Oakland, California, exemplifies this by considering what experiences might interest her guests based on their reasons for visiting.

"I often have visitors coming to see grandchildren. Since many of them have adult children who can’t take time off work, I think about unique experiences those guests can have with their grandchildren during the workday." - Cynthia Mackey

Trust

Design for Trust and Safety

Airbnb has designed trust into its platform through robust verification processes and a well-designed reputation system. Trust is built from the initial account sign-up through to guest reviews and secure communication channels.

"A well-designed reputation system is key for building trust." - Joe Gebbia

Trust at Airbnb starts with profile creation, requiring users to upload photos and complete their profiles before booking or hosting. Reviews and ratings further build trust within the community, ensuring transparency and accountability.