Mentorship, lifelong learning and the multigenerational workplace: A conversation with Airbnb’s Chip Conley

How To Make a Leader

The challenge of leading multigenerational teams is gaining more and more attention. With up to five generations now sharing the modern workplace, how can leaders bridge the gap and leverage age diversity as a strength?

Enter Chip Conley, founder of MEA (the world’s first midlife wisdom school) and Airbnb’s former advisor, hospitality strategist and resident “modern elder”. He draws on his experience joining the then-startup as a 52 year-old, navigating a youthful technology company as an experienced hospitality executive.

In this episode, Chip offers actionable insights for any leader aiming to leverage generational diversity as a strength rather than a challenge.

You’ll learn:

• How to embrace age diversity to create more collaborative and dynamic teams
• How Airbnb pioneered a “mutual mentorship” model to bridge generational gaps
• How to be both an effective mentor and mentee
• How to blend curiosity and wisdom in your leadership approach

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Wisdom is not taught, it's shared
(02:40) What inspired Chip to found the “Modern Elder Academy”
(09:28) How an intergenerational workforce changes the way that we interact and work with one another
(12:08) The different types of mentorship
(16:37) How to build a mentorship program
(18:35) Being a “mentern,” both a mentor and intern

To learn even more about Chip Conley’s approach to leadership, listen to the full interview.

To learn more about the Modern Elder Academy, check out their website here.

Order Chip’s most recent book, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better With Age.

Interested in attending our next live interview? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

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