Why Airbnb got it so right

Letters from CEOs rarely move me. They’re often full of corporate-speak and half-truths. The CEO and Co-Founder of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, changed that with his letter to employees.

The global economy is having a sudden cardiac arrest and despite Brian’s social media following and celebrity status amongst the startup community, he too has been forced to act. His beloved company will axe 1900 out of their 7500 employees.

Leadership in a crisis

Leading through and out of a crisis is not easy. The uncertainty a crisis brings can leave people feeling disorientated, overwhelmed and unable to act. Intentional leadership is key in these times and those leaders who are able to slow down, step back and challenge their perspectives and exercise their mindset muscles are the ones most likely to succeed and thrive. The question is how?

Build Mental Toughness

Think back to your childhood…every time you started something new you were excited. The possibilities were endless. When you were young, you didn’t know what you didn’t know. Everything was easy, and it was all fun. That is, until you decided that you wanted to be good at it.

HOW LEARNING REDUCES STRESS

Stressed? Anxious? Exhausted? Drained?

Many people feel this was feel this way about work, due to stressors and pressures. Longer work hours, more frequent hassles, the need to do more with fewer resources all add to the pressure Such work stress has been shown to induce anxiety and anger, unethical behaviour, poor decision making, and chronic exhaustion and burnout, all of which impair personal and organisational performance.

How does an NHS nurse cope?

It’s not easy interviewing Denise because every time I ask her a question, she talks about someone else. She defaults to others, continually. She is more interested in everyone else, than herself. She is one of those selfless people that can choke you up in an instant, because she is so kind and so giving. I am beginning to get it. Nurses don’t feel very comfortable talking about themselves. It’s all about other people. All the time.

Lessons from a Nurse

Victoria in one of nearly 2 million healthcare professional is the UK who are driven by a passion, mission, purpose – call it what you will – to help and care for people. It’s a driving force that is almost palpable when she speaks. Their purpose is so clear, and so strong, that finding the mental toughness (confidence, commitment, determination, courage, focus) they need to do their jobs – to do the work they do, day in and day out – comes easily and naturally.