04 January 2022 |

Rob Chesnut, former General Counsel of Airbnb: Why Integrity is Your North Star for Success

By Ben Bradbury

Do you need to be ruthless to attract success? The answer is a resounding no. In fact, for ambitious professionals to unlock their potential, personal integrity is a key component.

Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb and former US Counsel Rob Chesnut believes great leaders embody authenticity, self-awareness and transparency and set the temperature for the culture of the companies they work for.

Rob talks with Ben about why young professionals must use their North Star to guide them towards companies whose values align with their own. You’ll hear why customers are attracted to ethically-led businesses, why integrity can be a double-edged sword and why leaders should bring their personal ethics into their roles

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00:00 – Intro

02:50 – Humans, intelligence and self-interest

04:24 – How to stay on the right lane of integrity

07:25 – The importance of purpose and integrity in business

12:10 – Airbnb’s case study of purpose and integrity

14:20 – Rob’s first encounter with integrity

16:08 – Integrity within leadership

20:00 – Differentiating right from wrong

22:38 – Characteristics that drive integrity

23:41 – The importance of curiosity in the workforce

25:18 – Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, approach to purpose and integrity

29:39 – Closing remarks