PEAK

Proven principles for sustainable success, with new leadership insight PEAK is the popular, transformative guide to doing business better, written by a seasoned entrepreneur/CEO who has disrupted his favorite industry not once, but twice. Author Chip Conley, founder and former CEO of one of the world’s largest boutique hotel companies, turned to psychologist Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs at a time when his company was in dire need. And years later, when the young founders of Airbnb asked him to help turn their start-up home sharing company into a world-class hospitality giant, Conley once again used the principles he’d developed in PEAK. In the decade since this book's first edition, Conley's PEAK strategy has been developed on six continents in organizations in virtually every industry. The author’s foundational premise is that great leaders become amateur psychologists by understanding the unique needs of three key relationships—with employees, customers, and investors—and this message has resonated with every kind of leader and company including some of the world’s best-known, from Apple to Facebook. Avid users of PEAK have found that the principles create greater loyalty and differentiation with their key stakeholders. This new second edition includes in-depth examples of real-world PEAK companies, including the author’s own at Airbnb, and exclusive PEAK leadership practices that will take you—and your company's performance—to new heights. Whether you're at a startup or a Fortune 500 company, at a for-profit, nonprofit, or governmental organization, this book can help you and your people reach potential you never realized you had. Understand how Maslow's hierarchy makes for winning business practices Learn how PEAK drove some of today's top businesses to success Help employees reach their full potential—and beyond Transform the customer experience and keep investors happy The PEAK framework succeeds because it elevates the business from the inside out. These same principles apply in the boardroom, the breakroom, and your living room at home, and have proven to be the foundation of healthy, fulfilled lives. Even if you think you're doing great, you could always be doing better—and PEAK gives you a roadmap to the next level.

Foreword xi Introduction xiii Preface xxi PART ONE: MASLOW AND ME 1 Toward a Psychology of Business 3 2 Karmic Capitalism 17 3 The Relationship Truths 31 PART TWO: RELATIONSHIP TRUTH 1: THE EMPLOYEE PYRAMID 4 Creating Base Motivation 45 5 Creating Loyalty 61 6 Creating Inspiration 77 PART THREE: RELATIONSHIP TRUTH 2: THE CUSTOMER PYRAMID 7 Creating Satisfaction 99 8 Creating Commitment 119 9 Creating Evangelists 135 PART FOUR: RELATIONSHIP TRUTH 3: THE INVESTOR PYRAMID 10 Creating Trust 159 11 Creating Confidence 175 12 Creating Pride of Ownership 187 PART FIVE: PUTTING THE TRUTHS INTO ACTION 13 The Heart of the Matter 201 14 Peak Leadership Practices 215 15 Creating a Self-Actualized Life 235 Appendix: Peak Managerial Assessment 247 Notes 251 References 259 Acknowledgments 267 The Author 271 Index 273