Airbnb boss shares 'the moment I really became a CEO'—it helped save my company during a 'moment of truth'

Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky remembers the first time he actually felt like a company leader, he said in an interview for an episode of CNBC’s “Leaders Playbook,” set to air on Wednesday.

The moment started with a crisis. In 2011, an Airbnb host’s apartment was ransacked, damaged and burglarized by guests, causing other hosts, guests and the general public to question the platform’s trustworthiness three years into its existence, Chesky said. The hashtag “RIPAirbnb” trended on Twitter, he added.

“People thought this was the demise of the company, and that moment, I think, was our moment of truth,” said Chesky.

Navigating the crisis as a first-time CEO made Chesky feel “so dark and so dismal,” he said. He eventually landed on a course of action that proved successful — writing a blog post apologizing to the host, then announcing the “Airbnb Guarantee,” an initiative that promised up to $50,000 for hosts that experienced property damage from guests, he said.

“A leader steps up in times of crisis, they’re decisive,” said Chesky, adding: “You have to have courage to make a defining decision that’s going to chart your way forward. That was, I think, the moment I really became a CEO.”