Richard Branson's Leadership Style: Transformational Leadership
Sir Richard Branson has proven to be a transformational leader in the airline industry. The edgy, unpredictable and youthful image of Virgin has garnered the company a kind of a 'cult following,' despite increasingly fickle consumer tastes. There have been a number of disasters, however, partially generated by Branson's shoot-from-the-hip style. Bucking conventional wisdom, Branson held onto underperforming Virgin stores and unsuccessfully tried to challenge Apple's iPod with a Virgin MP3 player. However, Branson's willingness to stay true to what he believes is right is what makes him so inspiring. He has crafted a unique image for his company, with a distinct ethos that has a clear system of values. This is exemplified in Branson's promote-from-within strategy and an emphasis on hiring people because of their personal qualities, rather than specific experiences. Branson's positive and forward-thinking attitude is reflected in the people he chooses to surround him.
Similar to Steve Jobs of Apple, Branson focuses on what he thinks customers need, rather than what market analysts tell him they say they want. But one of the aspects of Branson's leadership that is so distinct is his stress upon treating employees well. In fact, in the company hierarchy, employees come before customers. It is employees who provide the service that 'brands' Virgin as Virgin. Customers will stay loyal if employees are happy and productive. This will also translate into higher profits for the company.
Recommend a different leadership style
Branson's leadership has proven to be effective at Virgin. It is the antithesis of the transactional style of leadership, which only seeks to motivate employees through a 'carrot and stick' approach, in which activities by employees are rewarded and punished in an external fashion. Branson is a risk-taker and enjoys soliciting opinions from employees rather than simply telling them what to do. He is known as 'Dr. Yes' because of his willingness to listen and to try new things. The downside to this is that some poorly-tested ideas may be implemented, diverting resources away from potentially more lucrative projects.
Branson could thus benefit from introducing a rewards-based system for employees who generate the most value-enhancing ideas for the Virgin brand and use more data-driven comparative metrics to track the progress of different projects. This would give…
Richard Branson Describe Branson's leadership style terms leadership models addressed Chpts. 10 & 11 evaluate effectiveness style U.S. today. 2. Recommend a leadership style (combination styles) make Branson effective leader Richard Branson: Leadership style Richard Branson is the charismatic CEO of the Virgin Group Ltd. Branson is internationally famous for his iconoclastic approach to leading his organization. Branson can be characterized as a transformational leader, intent upon using his somewhat unsystematic personality to
Business Leadership Analysis: Richard Branson Introduction Richard Branson rose up from obscurity in England to become one of the most revered business leaders in the world. From a small record shop in London to an independent record label that signed revolutionary bands like The Sex Pistols and the Rolling Stones, Branson’s company Virgin became a brand dedicated to doing things differently. The inspiration for Branson, whether it was selling music or selling
Sir Richard Branson, who is the founder and chairman of Virgin group limited, has been identified as a transformational leader. His form of leadership is liked and disliked by many across the globe. Branson has been known to have a different way of leadership which has led the Virgin group to go through thick and thin over the years. Even though the company now has a total of 50,000 employees
Richard Branson Analysis Leader Critique A Critique of the Leadership Style of Sir Richard Branson Sir Richard Branson makes an excellent example of an interesting leader to study. Branson's parents provided a relatively unique upbringing and raised him to be as independent as possible. For example, his mother was a stewardess for an airline and also a performer who would create challenging games for her children to play. She would do things like
owner of Virgin Company, Richard Branson. The paper puts special emphasis on the leadership style of Branson. It talks about his ease of interaction with the employees and his impulsiveness that he had. There is also comparison between transactional and transformational forms of leadership. Sir Richard Branson has been given many titles for his extra ordinary working abilities and plans. Branson has been termed as a transformational leader and this
Leadership Few leaders so overtly and ostentatiously embody the concept of transformational leadership as Sir Richard Branson. Branson heads the mega company Virgin Group. The leader's unconventional personality has been described as "vocal and flamboyant," ("Management and Leadership of Richard Branson at Virgin Group Ltd.," 2010). Although Branson is known for his personal charisma, he does not limit himself to a charismatic leadership style. Charismatic leaders operate on the assumption that
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