Richard Branson as a Peak Performer

Richard Branson as a peak performer

Why is Richard Branson a peak performer?

Richard Branson, the chairman of Virgin Group of companies, being known for his risk-taking and creative way of doing business, he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in this century. Despite the fact that he is the 236th richest person according to Forbes’ 2008 list of billionaires (“The world’s billionaire”, 2008), his achievement on breaking several world records (see appendix 1) and his contributions to the society (see appendix 2) alone is extraordinary. Though Branson was unsuccessful at a number of business ventures throughout his journey, none of those had done much damage to the Virgin group because all risks involved in an unsuccessful business attempt had been clearly calculated by Branson (2005). It’s been 39 years since the establishment of the first Virgin company, Virgin mail order operation (Branson), his enterprise has been expanding with sustainable profits over time, which undoubtedly define him as a peak performer.

What are the factors that contribute to Branson’s peak performance?

The environment that shaped him to become successful

It is in many studies that most peak performers would share the same psychological traits (Goh, 2009). Branson’s characteristics of adventurist, persistence, openness, toughness and intuition were some of the psychological traits that contributed to his success, and those were shaped by his upbringing and experiences in his early years.

Born in a middle class family in Britain, his parents were so supportive that he would not be afraid to try anything, which made him believe that anything is possible. Though with the problem of dyslexia, he had worked it to his advantage and helped him to become intuition and persistence. To cope with his dyslexia, Branson would have to persistently read at the library for improvement on his academic results. He would also need better grasp of his imagination to expand on...