Business

Describe Branson’s leadership style in terms of the leadership models addressed in Chapters 10 and 11 and evaluate the likely effectiveness of that style in the U.S. today.

Leadership is the process of developing ideas and a vision, living by values that support those ideas and vision, influencing others to embrace them in their own behaviors, and making hard decisions about human and other resources (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011).

Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the London-based Virgin Group Ltd., has turned a lifelong disdain for conventional business wisdom into a multibillion-dollar global conglomerate and one of the world’s most recognizable brand (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011, p. 344). A leader is a figurehead for his or her organization, entertaining clients and serving as a spokesperson for the organization. Branson by all means is a figurehead for Virgin, and perhaps more important than the brand itself (DuBrin, 2010). Branson represents the transformational leadership model style. Transformational leadership involves participating future trends, inspiring followers to understand and embrace a new vision of possibilities, developing others to be leaders or better leaders, and building the organization or group into a community of challenged and rewarded leaders (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011, p. 329). According to Branson there are leadership secrets to a successful business:

1. People are the key to success: Finding the right people and listening to them is the most important. Branson hires bright people and gives them a stake at his ventures so that they are motivated to be even more successful and then delegates. He believes that leaders who seek the feedback of both employees and customers facilitate innovative product development and brilliant customer service.