The Virgin Company

 

Richard Branson - the founder and owner of the group , an empire of 350 companies that   

includes virgin Atlantic airlines as well as ventures in other industries like telecommunication , trains, cosmetics and credit cards - says his goal is to turn virgin into the most respected brand in the  world , Branson's skills as a brand builder is one of the reasons underlying his longevity as a business leader .

it is difficult to separate the success of the Virgin brand from the flamboyant man behind  that brand . He travels the world weekly, reinforcing his good-natured, visible, jet.

setting, billionaire reputation- a reputation like the reputation of the companies he owns. Generally speaking, I think being a high-profile person has its advantages, he says advertising costs enormous of money these domestic airline , and we ended up getting on the front pages of the newspaper . the costs of that in advertising terms would have been considerable .

what is the most important quality of a good leader??

Being someone who cares about people is important , he says : you cant a good leader unless you generally like people . that is how you bring out the best in them .

how does a man who owns 350 companies get it all done ?

Branson places enormous value on time- management skills. as chairman of a large group of firms, Branson says he spends  about a third of his time on trouble -shooting  another third on   new project, both charitable and business, and the last third on promoting and talking about the business he has set up. As much as you as you need a strong personality to build a business from scratch, you must also understand the art of delegation, says Branson. I have to be good at helping people run the individual businesses, and I have to be willing to step back. The company be set up so it can continue without me.

In order for this process to work, employees must be happy. Branson says his philosophy of look for the best and you will get the best' helped him build an empire recognized for its fun culture, for the people who work for you or with you, you  must lavish praise on them all times; Branson  says. Its much more fun looking for the best in people. Slipped up or made a mess something. They will sort it out themselves. Branson feels strongly that if an employee is not excelling in one area of the company, he or she should be given group job firing is seldom an option .

Mutational strategies extend to innovation ideas. The key to encouraging innovation  within the Virgin ranks, suggests Branson, is to listen to any and all ideas and to offer often leave companies, he reasons, because they are frustrated by fact that their ideas fall on deaf ears. Interaction between employees and managers is fundamental. Branson has developed a level of trust with his top managers bay setting the direction and then stepping back to let them navigate. 'I come up with the original idea. Spend the first three months immersed in the business so I know the ins and outs and then give chief executives a stake in the company and ask them to run it as if it's their own, explain Branson .   I intervene as little as possible. Gice them that, and they will give everything back .'