According to Fortune, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky challenges founders with a provocative question: “Why do you deserve to exist?” The best answer he’s received, “if I don’t do it, no one else will,” reframes the CEO role not as an achievement but as a responsibility that demands moral clarity and genuine purpose beyond ambition. This perspective comes as leadership faces unprecedented challenges that demand deeper examination.
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Table of Contents
The Evolving CEO Mandate
The traditional CEO role has historically emphasized operational excellence, financial performance, and strategic vision. However, we’re witnessing a fundamental shift where leaders are increasingly expected to serve as the moral compass and cultural steward of their organizations. This evolution reflects broader societal changes where stakeholders—from employees to customers—demand authentic leadership that transcends quarterly earnings. The pressure isn’t just to manage complexity but to embody the organization’s reason for existing in a world where trust in institutions continues to erode.
The Authenticity Crisis in Leadership
What’s particularly striking about Chesky’s framework is how it exposes the performative nature of modern leadership. Many executives ascend through corporate ranks treating the corner office as a prize rather than a calling. Brian Chesky’s perspective, developed through building Airbnb from the ground up, highlights how founder-led companies often maintain this sense of purpose more naturally than professionally managed organizations. The danger emerges when leadership becomes theater—when executives play the role of CEO without the underlying conviction that their specific skills and perspective are uniquely necessary.
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The Unseen Challenges of Purpose-Driven Leadership
While the philosophy sounds compelling, implementing purpose-driven leadership faces significant practical hurdles. Organizations often reward ambition and political savvy over genuine problem-solving orientation. The compensation structures, board expectations, and market pressures frequently push CEOs toward short-term performance metrics rather than long-term purpose. Additionally, the very selection processes for leadership roles—often dominated by search firms and board committees—may systematically filter out candidates motivated by genuine responsibility in favor of those who excel at presenting ambitious visions.
Broader Industry Implications
This leadership philosophy arrives at a critical juncture for multiple industries. As podcast discussions and executive conversations increasingly focus on purpose, we’re seeing a divide emerge between companies led by necessity-driven founders and those managed by career executives. The restaurant industry, referenced through the Red Lobster example, represents just one sector where turnaround situations demand leaders who see themselves as problem-solvers rather than title-holders. This mindset becomes particularly crucial in industries facing existential threats or radical transformation.
The Future of Executive Leadership
Looking ahead, organizations that succeed in identifying and cultivating leaders driven by genuine responsibility rather than ambition will likely outperform their peers. The accelerating pace of CEO turnover suggests that traditional leadership models are failing. Companies will need to develop new assessment frameworks that evaluate candidates based on their problem-solving orientation and sense of responsibility rather than just their track records. The most successful organizations of the next decade may be those that can institutionalize this founder-like sense of purpose even as they scale beyond their entrepreneurial origins.
