The Virgin Way

In September 2012, a YOUGOV poll conducted in Britain found that the person British workers would most like as their manager was Sir Richard Branson. With over 40 years in business, Richard Branson is an inspiring pioneer of humanitarian projects and an iconic business leader. In The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead , Richard shares and distils his secrets of leadership and success. Featuring anecdotes from his own business dealings, as well as his observations of many others who have inspired him – from politicians, business leaders, explorers, scientists and philanthropists – Richard reflects on the qualities he feels are essential for success in today’s world. This is not a conventional book on leadership. There are no rules – but rather the secrets of leadership that he has learned along the way from his days at Virgin Records, to his recent work with The Elders. Whether you’re at the beginning of your career, or head of a Fortune 500 company – this is your guide to being your own CEO (Chief Enabling Officer) and becoming a true leader – not just a boss.

In September 2012, a YOUGOV poll conducted in Britain found that the person British workers would most like as their manager was Sir Richard Branson. With over 40 years in business, Richard Branson is an inspiring pioneer of humanitarian projects and an iconic business leader. In The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead , Richard shares and distils his secrets of leadership and success. Featuring anecdotes from his own business dealings, as well as his observations of many others who have inspired him – from politicians, business leaders, explorers, scientists and philanthropists – Richard reflects on the qualities he feels are essential for success in today’s world. This is not a conventional book on leadership. There are no rules – but rather the secrets of leadership that he has learned along the way from his days at Virgin Records, to his recent work with The Elders. Whether you’re at the beginning of your career, or head of a Fortune 500 company – this is your guide to being your own CEO (Chief Enabling Officer) and becoming a true leader – not just a boss.

This is a book on leadership from someone who has never read a book on leadership in his life. While building the Virgin Group over the course of forty years, Richard Branson has never shied away from tackling seemingly outlandish challenges that others (including his own colleagues on many occasions) considered sheer lunacy. He has taken on giants like British Airways and won, and monsters like Coca-Cola and lost. Now Branson gives an inside look at his strikingly different, swashbuckling style of leadership. Learn how fun, family, passion, and the dying art of listening are key components to what his extended family of employees around the world has always dubbed (with a wink) "the Virgin Way." This unique perspective comes from a man who dropped out of school at sixteen, suffers from dyslexia, and has never worked for anyone but himself. He may be famous for thinking outside the box--an expression he despises--but Branson asserts that "you'll never have to think outside the box if you refuse to let anyone build one around you."

This is a book on leadership from someone who has never read a book on leadership in his life. While building the Virgin Group over the course of forty years, Richard Branson has never shied away from tackling seemingly outlandish challenges that others (including his own colleagues on many occasions) considered sheer lunacy. He has taken on giants like British Airways and won, and monsters like Coca-Cola and lost. Now Branson gives an inside look at his strikingly different, swashbuckling style of leadership. Learn how fun, family, passion, and the dying art of listening are key components to what his extended family of employees around the world has always dubbed (with a wink) "the Virgin Way." This unique perspective comes from a man who dropped out of school at sixteen, suffers from dyslexia, and has never worked for anyone but himself. He may be famous for thinking outside the box--an expression he despises--but Branson asserts that "you'll never have to think outside the box if you refuse to let anyone build one around you."