Leaders Are in the Details
Inspired by on Lenny's Podcast
Being involved in your child's life isn't helicopter parenting - it's the only way to know if they're actually okay.
Brian Chesky rebuilt Airbnb by doing something counterintuitive: getting more involved in the details, not less. And it worked. The company got faster, not slower. Less chaos, not more.
Here's the insight: there's a difference between micromanagement and being in the details. Micromanagement is telling people exactly what to do. Being in the details is knowing what's actually happening.
Chesky puts it bluntly: 'If you don't know the details, how do you know people are doing a good job?'
The same applies to parenting.
Being present at bedtime isn't hovering - it's how you know what's actually going on in their world. Knowing their friends' names isn't helicopter parenting - it's basic awareness. Asking about their day isn't intrusive - it's how you spot problems before they become crises.
The paradox Chesky found: the more he stepped back, the more things fell apart. The less involved he was, the slower everything moved, the more conflicts arose, the more surprises were bad ones.
Presence isn't control. It's care made visible. You can be in the details without dictating every detail. Your kids need you to know what's happening in their lives - not to manage them, but to actually see them.
PM Theme: Being in the details without micromanaging
Parenting Theme: Being present and engaged
“I think there's a difference between micromanagement, which is like telling people exactly what to do, and being in the details. Being in the details is what every responsible company's board does to the CEO. That doesn't mean the board is telling them what to do. But if you don't know the details, how do you know people are doing a good job?”Brian Chesky · 00:00:00
“The less involved I was in a project, the more spin there was, the less clear the goals, the less advocacy the team had... And the slower they moved, the more they assumed it was because I was too involved.”Brian Chesky · 00:17:27
