Analysing the leadership style of richard branson Essay Example
Richard Branson is widely recognized for his exceptional leadership in the business world. According to major leadership theories, he is described as creative, fun, non-traditional, fast-paced, ambitious, adventurous, a risk-taker, warm, friendly, competitive, a workaholic and tough negotiator. These qualities align with trait theories of leadership and are considered essential for success.
Branson also values strong leader-member relationships and treats his employees with respect. He even invites junior members to home parties and welcomes feedback and new ideas from his team. The organizational structure of Virgin is flat and non-hierarchical, allowing employees the freedom to be creative without strict procedures or guidelines. The company operates in clusters and encourages independent work.
These aspects demonstrate a democratic and participative leadership approach. While Branson does exhibit some dominance due to his positional power, he tends to make decisions independently. Fiedler's eventuality theo
...ry suggests that he falls into the intercede type of leader who is motivated and socio-independent.Branson possesses strong eventuality and situational leadership skills and has always capitalized on opportunities to make new companies successful. He is adept at controlling situations, willing to take risks, and adjusts his leadership style according to the situation and context. This adaptability is one of the most important characteristics of Branson's leadership. Additionally, he implements changes quickly, such as when Virgin Cola shifted its focus after determining limited competition in the cola business against Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. Furthermore, Branson embodies traits of a transformational leader who can quickly adapt to change, successfully integrating different organizational cultures through acquiring new companies and expanding into new areas with his team. Literature indicates a positive relationship between evaluating transformational leadership and assessing managerial performance, recommendations fo
promotion, and achieving goals in strategic business units (Hater & Bass, 1988; Waldman et al., 1990; Avolio, 1999).According to Bass (1985), transformational leadership is more likely to emerge in times of crisis and change, displaying socially valued behaviors. Conversely, transactional leadership is commonly found in stable and well-structured environments. Given that Virgin is an organization focused on growth and constant change, it is well-suited for a transformational leadership style. The influence of founder Richard Branson's values and goals drives the entire corporation at Virgin. An examination of transformational and charismatic leadership theories indicates that leaders can inspire personal identification among followers and within their work-groups in order to achieve relevant goals (Yukl, 1988). Therefore, in my opinion, this renowned business leader best exemplifies the transformational approach to leadership.
Conclusion
Transformational leaders possess the potential to exceed expectations and initiate changes within individuals and organizations through charisma, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and individualized consideration. This reference suggests that a leader suited for a time like this exhibits characteristics such as uncertainty, global upheaval, and institutional instability.The sources referenced include a book by I. Brooks titled "Organisational Behaviour" (2009), a book by B.M. Bass titled "Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation" (1985), a book by D. Dearlove titled "Business the Richard Branson Way" (2007), and a book by A. Durbin, C. Dalglish, & P. Miller titled "Leadership" (2006). Journal articles referenced include one by B.J. Avolio titled "Re-examining the Components of Transformational and Transactional Leadership" (1999), one by D.A. Waldman, B.M. Bass, & F.J. Yammarino titled "Adding to Contingent-Reward Behavior: The Augmenting Effect of Charismatic Leadership" (1990), and one by G.A.Yukl titled "Managerial Leadership: A Review of Theory and Research"(1988).
An internet source referenced is an article on bbc.co.uk titled "Knighthood for Branson"(1999). The website for the Small Firms Association National Centre of Excellence provides a document in PDF format called "Leadership". You can access this document at the following link: http://www.centreofexcellence.ie/sectors/SFA/SFANCEDocLib.nsf/441763b04b0320b68025722e003fb55a/bc12f53469df45728025722e003f060f/$FILE/Leadership.pdf
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