There are a number of traits and characteristics that come to mind when I think of Richard Branson, who is the Founder of Virgin Atlantic Group. The Virgin Group is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands, with over 400 companies. Branson prides himself on his rule-breaking leadership style, and his involvement in hiring/selecting leaders for Virgin.
Based on our lesson readings, I was able to determine that Branson’s traits and characteristics correspond with Stogdill’s research findings of a survey conducted in 1974, in which he identified 10 traits that are associated with leadership: drive for responsibility and task completion; vigor and persistence in pursuit of goals; venturesomeness and originality in problem solving; drive to exercise initiative in social situations; self-confidence and sense of personal identity; willingness to accept consequences of decision and action; readiness to absorb interpersonal stress; willingness to tolerate frustration and delay; ability to influence other persons’ behavior; and capacity to structure social interaction systems to the purpose at hand.
The findings of Ralph Stogdill’s first survey determined that, “an individual does not become a leader solely because that individual possesses certain traits. Rather, the traits that leaders possess must be relevant to situations in which the leader is functioning.” Leaders in one situation may not necessarily be leaders in another situation. Further, findings showed that leadership was not a passive state but resulted from a working relationship between the leader and other group members (Northhouse, 2016). In an interview with Forbes, Branson was is asked how he selects leaders for his company and he responded with, “I’m quite involved in hiring for leadership and I look to hire my weaknesses. A person who has multiple degrees in your field isn’t always better than someone with broad experience and a wonderful personality. I like to take chances on people, and whenever possible, promote from within – it sends a great message to everyone in the company when someone demonstrates a passion for the job and leadership skills at every step along the way and is rewarded with a leadership role.” Branson believes that if you love what you do and if you believe in what you do, others will share your enthusiasm. Passionate people find their way to the Virgin Group, and when they do, he snaps them up and tries to keep them within the family (Forbes, 2014).
The dimension of the Five Factor of Personality that best describes Branson’s approach is “Openness to Experience (Intellectance): Those high in openness to experience are imaginative, broad-minded, and curious; they seek out new experiences through travel, the arts, movies, sports, reading, and learning about new cultures (Penn State World Campus, Lesson 2). Branson offers advice to other leaders, “most of your best people will always be interested in developing their skills further, but they may find fewer new projects available, along with fewer paths to advancement. Working with employees to find solutions will be the job of every manager on your team” (Ratcliffe, 2012). One of the most important skills that anyone can have is to have the ability to listen, which is a very important Virgin trait. Listening enables people to learn from each other, from the marketplace, and from the mistake that must be made in order to get anywhere that is original and disruptive. He has learned so much from guests and employees that way. Branson believes that learning from other is another trait that goes hand-in-hand with leadership. He admits that, “Too much credit goes to me for what we have achieved at Virgin but the successes happen from working and learning with some of the world’s most inspiring and inspired people” (Forbes, 2014).
Analysis of recent studies have found that intelligence or intellectual ability is positively related to leadership. Zaccaro et al. (2004) found support for the finding that leaders tend to have higher intelligence than non-leaders. “If the leader’s IQ is very different from that of the followers, it can have a counterproductive impact on leadership. Leaders with higher abilities may have difficulty communicating with followers because they are preoccupied or because their ideas are too advanced for their followers to accept (Northouse, 2016). Branson has managed to bridge the gap in that he becomes very involved in the hiring process and seeks to hire those who offset his weaknesses.
References
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles
Forbes. (2014). Richard Branson’s Three Most Important Leadership Principles. Retrieved, Jan 21, 2017 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2014/09/23/richard-branson-his-3-most-important-leadership-principles/#5e7f5c3a5ccf
Ratcliffe, C. (2012). CNBC: Richard Branson on Inspiring Employees. Retrieved Jan 21, 2017, from http://www.cnbc.com/id/49890353
aud39 says
Branson’s statement has to be one of the most effective leadership choices a person can make. “I look to hire my weaknesses”. This is a man who knows himself, knows his weaknesses, and knows how to spot those strengths in others. Look no further for a more effective leadership style. This ensures a well rounded team that can support one another.
He also follows this up with key motivational factors recognition and advancement, “the successes happen from working and learning with some of the world’s most inspiring and inspired people”. He acknowledges that the success at the company comes from those he hires. He also talks about finding ways for employees to advance within the company. There are no two better ways to motivate subordinates. See my article for more information here: http://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2017/02/01/style-and-approach-to-motivating-subordinate/
rlm71 says
I have always admired Richard Branson for his creativity, drive, focus and talent for achieving his goals. I think another aspect of his personality that adds to his abilities is his sense of humility. Although all of the characteristics you mentioned are integral to being a successful leader, his ability to remain humble probably adds a great deal to his ability to accomplish tasks. He takes the time to let his employees know that without them, he would not be able to achieve all that he has, and without them, he could not continue to grow his brand. Outlandish and daring ideas need to be borne from someone with the candor to make them a reality, but scores of people are needed to bring any large-scale project to fruition. Because he believes in the quality of his employees he is able to continue to produce grand ideas and goals for the future. Thank you for this interesting post!