Entrepreneur Chip Conley works through his program Modern Elder Academy to help people navigate major life changes and midlife crises.
Key Details
- When Conley found himself reporting to executives half his age while working at Airbnb, he was initially shocked, but soon found a way to embrace the role as a “modern elder” in the industry.
- Through Modern Elder Academy, Conley helps other individuals navigate this new territory.
- Recently, the entrepreneur talked with Inc Magazine and explained how his own personal journey of growth and development led him to where he is today.
Why it’s important
Looking back over his career, Conley shared that one of the most valuable things he has learned to do is consider his life experiences and what he can learn from them. Every week, he explained, he sits down and writes a list of lessons he has learned over the past seven days.
Conley explains that he uses this method to help him learn the lessons more quickly in order to prepare himself for the future. An added benefit is that it helps relieve any anxiety Conley may be feeling about the future.
Another tool Conley has in his toolbelt is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This theory suggests that all people have basic needs that must be met before higher-level needs can come to fruition. Conley uses this theory when addressing employee and customer needs.
“Survival need was transactional, the success need was relational, and the transformational need was mission-led, and creating a legacy that an investor feels the pride of ownership. The number-one thing any young CEO or founder could learn is the psychology of what makes their employees, their customers, and their investors tick,” Conley says.
Finally, Conley emphasized a need for building a company culture that will further your business goals. Without a company culture that supports the mission of the business, Conley says, no business strategy can be successful.