Brian Chesky: A Presentation on Leadership, Management, and AirBnB

This presentation analyzes Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of AirBnB, as a prominent business leader. It highlights Chesky's leadership style, emphasizing his transformational approach and community-focused management. The presentation explores Chesky's skills and competencies, including his determination, boldness, and charismatic personality, which have significantly contributed to AirBnB's success. It also discusses the potential weaknesses of his leadership, such as a focus on the bigger picture over smaller details and the challenges of maintaining control in a large organization. The presentation concludes by acknowledging the criticisms related to sustainability and long-term housing while emphasizing Chesky's outlook on community empowerment. The presentation is supported by references to academic sources and industry reports, providing a comprehensive overview of Chesky's leadership and its impact on the lodging industry.

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Transcript
Name of the Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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Hello Everybody.
This is an amazing opportunity which I have been given my by coordinators and teachers to
speak on a business leader who has set great examples and inspiring generations to address
business ideas in their own innovative ways.
The leader I have chosen for my presentation is Brian Chesky, who is the co-founder and CEO of
AirBnB and set great examples for entrepreneurs his followers alike. He is one the greatest
influences in the industry as he has taken the company to great heights with his business
perceptions.
Slide 1:
Let us begin with knowing Brian Chesky as a business person and co-founder of AirBnb,
which has been a great success and changed the course of lodging and hotel industry. Brian
Chesky is the co-founder and CEO of AirBnB. AirBmB is a company which operates online and
offers its clients peer to peer lodging services (Airbnb.com.au 2020). It is fascinating how the
company has employed unconventional strategies to offer tourism and home stay services
without owning any estates or events. AirBnB operates as the mediator to arrange the facilities
and thus, receive commissions on the same.
The company is America based. It is interesting how the founding members of the
company conjectured the idea of setting up the business which has been a phenomenal success.
Joe Gebbia and Chesky, first had the idea in 2007 when they bought three mattresses for their
apartment while there was a shortage of hotels during the Industrial Designer Society America
had a convention scheduled in San Francisco. They changed their apartment entirely and gave
them out on rent for $80 per night. This is how the idea was conjectured by the entrepreneurs and

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changed and disrupted the lodging business by their business of Air Bed and Breakfast. Chesky,
now ranks among the top hundred most influential people in the world with his business,
management and leadership ideas, as he executes in his company and inspires others to follow
the same.
Slide 2: Now Brian Chesky’s skills and competencies shall be discussed.
Brian Chesky is a very determined person who has made his mark feel globally through
his revolutionary and unconventional business ideas. He is a bold leader as he shows direction to
his followers and employees while emphasizing on the need to grow and learn through and
through. He began his career with a degree in architecture while, today, he is well known for his
leadership qualities as he has exhibited with AirBnB and taken the company to newer heights.
Today, AirBnB offers facilities to over two million guests every night through peer to peer
lodging services (Yang et al. 2019). He often makes people wonder he is capable of
revolutionizing the industry as he is too young to conceive and execute the ideas.
He also ranked among the top 20 leaders in the globe in Fortune Magazine. He has a
dynamic and charismatic personality which makes his stakeholders and followers look up to him
for inspiration as he always has great insights to share which helps become better than
themselves and challenge the existing orders in the world with innovative ways. He listens to his
intuitions yet prioritizes perseverance, which has allowed AirBnb to become extraordinary in the
world (Boldbusiness.com 2020). His bold leadership traits, skills and competencies also include
humility, collaborative approach, helpful and humbleness as he always likes to help others and

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coach emerging entrepreneurs to understand the business environment and address the demands
and trends with great ideas.
Slide 3: Let’s pay attention to his management and leadership style.
Acording to Brian Chesky, it is very important to focus on community development. It is
one of his approach to leadership, as he constantly tries to contribute to the development of
community and society as a whole, with a collaborative approach. His leadership is one of the
greatest reason behind AirBnB’s success. The management and leadership of AirBnB is run by
codependency and breeds mutual reliance of clients and employee as the people who rent their
properties and homes become quasi employees of the company for providing accommodation
and hospitality to the people.
Chesky exhibits transformational leadership as he shares a common vision with the
employees and his followers, as a leader himself. He has great charisma which influences his
followers to draw great awe and inspiration from his leadership and strategies. The attributes of
transformational leadership which are exhibited by Chesky include intellectual stimulation,
influence, individual consideration and inspirational motivation (Hawkins 2017).
Transformational leadership is highly suitable for modern day business environment which
enables the organization to carry out changes and address uncertainties (Ghasabeh, Soosay and
Reaiche 2015). AirBnB has understood these aspects of the business and addressed transition
required in the organization for sustenance by employing transformational leadership and
extraordinary personal skills and competencies possessed by Brian Chesky.

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Slide 4: We have arrived at the discussion of what might be the possible weaknesses of the
leader as well as the company.
AirBnB focuses on the bigger picture rather than taking little nuances into consideration.
It should be ensured that the company pays attention to the little details in order to reduce risks
and uncertainties. A transformational leadership approach also does not allow power and control
over the employees and stakeholders. It might be difficulty to execute changes if the company
lacks control over the employees, in order to manage the change, especially in a company as big
as AirBnB.
Even though the perceived ideas and execution have enabled the company to be
extremely successful, it has also acquired negative criticisms which are related to sustainability
and long term housing in the markets which are located in the urban areas (Oskam 2019).
However, Chesky employs an outlook which supports community empowerment, is this poses
threats. Uncertainties and prove to be a weakness, it should be addressed to be able to maintain
the position of a great leader as well as a company leading and dominating the hotel and lodging
business.

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References
Airbnb.com.au, 2020. Holiday Rentals, Homes, Experiences & Places - Airbnb. [online] Airbnb.
Available at: <https://www.airbnb.com.au/> [Accessed 2 April 2020].
Boldbusiness.com, 2020. Brian Chesky On Airbnb Leadership That's Based On Humility.
[online] Bold Business. Available at: <https://www.boldbusiness.com/human-achievement/brian-
chesky-airbnb/> [Accessed 2 April 2020].
Ghasabeh, M.S., Soosay, C. and Reaiche, C., 2015. The emerging role of transformational
leadership. The Journal of Developing Areas, 49(6), pp.459-467.
Hawkins, P., 2017. Leadership team coaching: Developing collective transformational
leadership. Kogan Page Publishers.
Oskam, J.A., 2019. The Future of Airbnb and the Sharing Economy: The Collaborative
Consumption of our Cities. Channel View Publications.
Yang, S.B., Lee, K., Lee, H. and Koo, C., 2019. In Airbnb we trust: Understanding consumers’
trust-attachment building mechanisms in the sharing economy. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 83, pp.198-209.