Some leaders, including Airbnb's CEO, argue that favoritism can nurture excellence. Beth Hood, the founder and CEO of leadership and management training platform Verosa Leadership, told BI that favoritism in the workplace "is a slippery slope." AdvertisementHood said that for individuals who are highly motivated by positive reinforcement, "being openly acknowledged can act as a powerful catalyst for continued high performance. Dilan Gomih, the founder and CEO of workplace performance and wellness consultancy Dilagence, told BI that words matter. Advertisement"It's always the team competition, the collaborative competition, that gets the organization the results we want," she said.

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Persons: Brian Chesky, Fortune, That's, Chesky, Beth Hood, Hood, Leena Rinne, Rinne, It's, Gomih, I've, it's, Airbnb Organizations: Research, Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Illinois, Hang Seng University of Hong, Skillsoft, Harvard Locations: University of Illinois Chicago, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Scandinavian