What can older workers contribute to fast-growing companies populated by digital natives? A lot.

Chip Conley, author of the book, Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder, believes that older workers provide emotional intelligence, discerning judgment and humble wisdom. But to do this, they need to let go of past identities and adopt a learning mindset. In short, they need to become interns while embracing their positions as mentors.

Chip was the founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, a boutique hotel firm he ran for over 24 years. Most recently, he spent 5 years as Head of Hospitality and Strategy at Airbnb, helping to make it the world’s largest hospitality brand. He’s also author of the NYTimes bestseller, Emotional Equations.

Episode Links

@ChipConley

http://www.chipconley.com/

Ageism

Digital intelligence

Joie de Vivre Hotels

Rumi’s poem, Raw, Well-Cooked and Burnt

Appreciative inquiry

The Difference by Scott Page

The Element of Lavishness: Letters of William Maxwell and Sylvia Townsend Warner

Liminal

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

James Baldwin

Emotional intelligence