Richard is the chair of the Virgin Group of companies, an entrepreneurial venture that is diverse. Richard Branson is considered the most successful leader of today, basing on his unique vision, leadership qualities and passion. Leadership is a critical aspect in management because the subordinates develop beliefs and values communicated to them by their leader through non-verbal and verbal channels of communication. Richard Branson applies a leadership style that combines the activities of teambuilding efforts and the branding in Virgin group. In his leadership style, Richard focuses on employees as a priority compared to other executives who focus on customers. Richard believes that the happiness of employees is reflected on the productivity in the organization, and if the employees are focused on executing tasks appropriately, the customers will hence be satisfied, and the business will experience improved profit margins. Richard, therefore, invests his time in making sure that employees are happy at Virgin Group (Branson, 2014) .
The leadership style used by Richard Incorporates a transformational approach that calls for an environment where employees and senior subordinates can interact freely and hence enabling employees to give their views and suggestions. Richard Branson, therefore, has adopted a transformational leadership style as a way of encouraging cooperation, free interaction, motivation, innovation and creativity among all the employees. The key elements portrayed in his leadership style involves; willingness to listen, positivity, his ability to think different from others, his ability to delegate duties in a systematic approach, his talent to lead and his decision-making skills. All these elements describe him as an exceptional leader who focuses on results by establishing a suitable environment that leads to the achievement of those results. It is through his efforts and initiatives that Richard is viewed as a global leader who positively influences others and supports a non- hierarchical leadership style that has seen him steer the creation of many organizations globally.
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Richard Branson is a Fun-loving leader has always focused on empowering employees to work towards delivering the best to the customers. The focus in which Richard has placed on employees enables Virgin to continue generating clients and thus making it the best company globally. Combining the aspect of employee attention and innovation makes the clients and the employees satisfied and happy. Studies have concluded that employees will always perform to the best when their views and opinions are appreciated by their leaders. Branson has also used the technique of hiring the right people with the appropriate talent in all the areas of operation; this has enabled his leadership to match that of a multifaceted firm like Virgin. Hiring the right talent enables the organization to tap into various talents showcased by employees, and this is important for the growth of the company. Branson has also influence collaboration and participation which nurtures a culture that encourages innovation, also the fact that the leader allows for group decisions at all the stages enables everyone to be granted the attention they deserve.
Branson’s style of leadership establishes an environment of trust, and therefore he can trust new entrants by demonstrating his trust to them. This has enabled every new employee to develop a sense of belonging in the organization which is vital for their performance. Branson’s aspect of leadership style happens to match well with the attributes of the multifaceted organization, in this case, Virgin, because he has mastered his style of leading by creating an environment where employees and customers feel appreciated. His sense of humor also adds up to his leadership elements because he uses it as a way of making employees feel comfortable, also, he uses the Maslow hierarchy of needs as a guide to nurture employees into becoming more productive and hence competitive.
Richard Branson is likely to motivate employees to achieve his goals for the Virginia Group by engaging the in the decision making process and also encouraging them to become innovative. By encouraging employees to be innovative and to venture into new ideas is a way of motivating them to develop a desire to perform better and to show their capabilities. Branson uses this technique to motivate employees and to influence employee production by encouraging employees to work extra hard to prove their capability to their employer. However; this method cannot be used in an organization with only one area of work; for example employees in small business cannot be motivated by this approach.
On the other hand, the use of decision-making approach to motivate workers is applicable in all organizations. This is because the decision making process is a very important process in every business, it requires ideas generated from different perspectives. When employees are involved in the decision making process, they always feel appreciated and that their opinions are important. Using this approach as a motivating factor has proved to propel the success of an organization. Virgin is not left behind through the leadership of Branson, who has always encouraged employees to share their views regarding the flow of work and how the organization should operate. Branson ensures that employees participate in the decision making process by encouraging them to form teams and brainstorm ideas that can be relevant in decision making. This approach of motivation has enabled employees in Virgin to put more effort into their performance and meet the level required by the organization. When employees feel they are being ignored by the management, their level of performance is often low because they lack motivation. Branson does not rely on money as the only approach to motivating employees.
Richard Branson’s ability to articulate and communicate his vision for his company to employees and other stakeholders; is based on mitigating global warming. His vision to end global warming resonates well with his communication strategy. Branson has articulated and communicated his vision by pointing out the mitigating activities that need to be implemented to meet the vision. By so doing, Branson has revealed the aspect of action in his vision by pointing out the things that need to be done to meet the vision. Leaders who articulate how the vision should be achieved and participates in the implementation process that aims at achieving the vision, always succeed in their leadership. Branson embraces three elements in his articulation and communication of vision for his company; these elements are; engaging, envisioning and enacting. These elements have enabled Branson to have a clear sense of direction and thus able to lead his employees and stakeholders in the right direction that leads to achieving the organization’s goals (Burnes, 2012).
Virgin takes pride in the leadership of Branson especially when it comes to communication. Branson has mastered the art of communicating and ensuring that employees and stakeholders get the message clearly. There is transparency in communication, and this has proved to encourage the people working in the organization to put their best in their performance to realize the vision. Communication is a vital aspect in every business because it forms the basis of how, when, where things should be done.
The criteria I would use to evaluate whether Richard Branson’s leadership style is a fit for me as a manager would be first based on the type of leadership and how the style facilitates and establishes a common vision for stakeholders, employees and the organization. Appropriate leadership style creates a vision that encourages a good working culture which will influence the implementation of tasks and hence the success of the business. Secondly, I would take a look at the leadership style and how it establishes a suitable working environment. If the style creates a good working environment, I will consider it best for my career as the manager. If the leadership style does not provide a good climate for employees to work, it will, therefore, mean that being a manager would be difficult. In addition to a good working environment, I would also evaluate whether the leadership techniques used by Branson’s integrates resources of the organization in a way that promotes a safe environment for both stakeholders and employees. Looking at the leadership style in this dimension, I will be able to determine whether I fit in as the manager or not.
Furthermore, I would evaluate the leadership style and how it facilitates cooperation between the junior employees and the managers, where there is effective cooperation; there is excellence in the decision making process and also implementation. As a result, an organization can be able to accomplish tasks and meet its goals without challenges. A good relationship between a manager and employee encourages success because it motivates employees and also the manager in a manager that ensures the flow of information and execution of duties without any conflict. I will, therefore, evaluate the relationship between Branson and his subordinates and how the relationship has contributed to the success of the firm; this will motivate me to work as the manager.
In my opinion, I believe Richard Branson is a global leader. Branson’s, leadership is appreciated and loved by his employees, and this makes his leadership, power, and charisma to be recognized globally. Taking a look at the contributions made by Branson in attempts to solve the crisis of climate change, it is clear that his vision is focused on mitigating global warming. Being the chairman of the Virgin Group of Companies, Branson has contributed towards finding solutions to accomplish the goal of mitigating global warming. By participating in such a manner, Branson is viewed as a global leader because of his global interests at heart. Branson’s adoption of non-hierarchical leadership technique that promotes free interaction between employees and the managers reveals how he is the people’s leader who considers boundaries. Furthermore, it is through Branson’s leadership that various organizations have been created and this justifies the statement that he is indeed a global leader (Mendenhall et al.,2017) .
Richard Branson’s success as a leader over the next five years is guaranteed because of the various reasons that make his future leadership be predictable. First, his views on how to solve challenges seem to resonate well with the emerging issues that the world faces. Take for example the climate change as an issue faced globally, Branson seems to be at the forefront in coming up with solutions to mitigate global warming as an impact to future climate. The view in which Branson sees the world applies to both present and the future; therefore he will be a leader for the next years. Branson has also embraced innovation by encouraging employees to adopt new innovative ideas; this is in line with the speed in which the world is moving regarding technology advancement. Innovation is the key to the future survival and success for organizations, and this makes him a future leader. Another reason is the leadership style used by Branson, which encourages free interaction between employees and managers. His technique is vital because it ensures that there is abundant support from employees and stakeholders, this will guarantee his leadership for the next five years.
Reference
Branson, R. (2014). The virgin way: Everything I know about leadership . Penguin.
Burnes, B. (2012). Leadership and Change: The Case for Greater Ethical Clarity. Journal of Business Ethics, 108(2), 239-252.
Mendenhall, M. E., Osland, J., Bird, A., Oddou, G. R., Stevens, M. J., Maznevski, M., & Stahl, G. K. (Eds.). (2017). Global leadership: Research, practice, and development . Routledge.
