Reaching New Peaks with Chip Conley

PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow

It was awesome to have Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre hotels join us for our most recent webinar in the Rypple Leadership Series. Chip shared with us the theory from his latest book, PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow, and inspired everyone to find their calling in life.

Chip begins his presentation with a very simple yet meaningful sentence:

Life, and business, is all about where you pay your attention.

Here are the key takeaways:

1. Find your calling

If your employees or co-workers live their calling at work, they will do the best they can. Chip explains that where we pay our attention in life is where we see the results.

Chip shows one of the first triangles of many in his talk; JOB is at the bottom, CAREER is in the middle and CALLING is at the peak. Chip among many other successful people, made their name and success from finding their calling.

There is a hierarchy of needs in Maslow’s work, as there is a hierarchy of needs in life, the peak always being the best it can be.

Chip’s calling wasn’t found at Stanford Business School, but he realized a few years later that he wanted to start a boutique hotel company, and this was the beginning of Joie de Vivre. Even though it started out as a pay-by-hour motel, it was his calling and that’s where he got his passion from.

2. It all begins with corporate culture

At the heart of culture is the people. Companies that are most successful are full of happy people.

Chip’s business model is in the shape of a heart. The “Service Profit Chain” explains that if you input a good corporate culture, to get, enthusiastic staff and loyal customers, you will get out a profitable and sustainable business.

3. Companies can strive for self-actualization too

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is all about attaining self-actualization. But to get to the peak of the pyramid, you have to start from the bottom. First you need your physiological needs met, then safety needs, social/ belonging needs, esteem and finally you can reach self-actualization where the “peak” experiences occur.

Maslow created this pyramid from interviewing 1,000 people about their needs and how each of them try to gain self-actualization.

In times of trouble Chip discovered this thought: If humans could reach the peak, why couldn’t companies? They are full of people so why would it not be the same?

4. Create loyalty at the PEAK

Chip was just about to bring the pyramid to the company but took it upon himself to simplify it down. Survival still at the bottom, Succeed in the middle and Transform at the top. In times of struggle, most people focus on the bottom, survival.

Joie de Vivre isn’t any better or any worse than other big companies in their industry in terms of pay, but their turnover rate is 1/3 compared to others. Why? Because of the loyalty and inspiration is created by living your calling. What Chip does is simple, get outta the way of people’s calling.

It is so much easier to lead a team that is intrinsically motivated. As a leader, you need to help people feel that their job is so much more than their tasks. It’s about the purpose behind the tasks.

So finally, Chip explains all of these pyramids are related! Peak experiences create peak performance and that is what is needed for a successful business.

“The holistic business model of these three pyramids comes together partly based upon the heart (the initial business model) that actually sits at the core.”