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Along with the first order offer - 15% discount (with the code "get15off"), you save extra 10% since we provide 300 words/page instead of 275 words/pageLeader Profile: Richard Branson
Overview of Career
Richard Nicholas Branson was born in 1950 in England. He dropped out of school when he was 16 years old to a culture magazine for youths called Student. The publications first edition was launched in 1966 and sold for 8,000 USD in terms of advertising. In 1969, Bramston started a mail-order record firm known as Virgin. The organization was meant to assist his magazine with funding efforts (Stone 2011). This companys performance was modest, but the returns were sufficient to expand this business empire; he started a recording store in London. With the record stores proceeds, Branson was consequently able to put up a recording studio in England in 1972. The recording studio was able to sign aspiring artists and consequently grew to become one of six most prosperous record companies globally. Sir Richard expanded his business entrepreneurial efforts, venturing into the travel industry. In 1980, he founded the Voyager Group; in 1984, Virgin Atlantic and a chain of Virgin Megastores. Branson, however, experienced financial problems with his Virgin Music Enterprise and had to sell it out to salvage his investment. He, however, did not throw in the towel in the music industry. In 1993, he started Virgin Radio, and later, in 1996, he opened another record company called V2 (Stone 2011). His Virgin Group currently comprises over 200 companies situated in over 30 countries across the globe. His business has expanded to include space tourism, mobile phone manufacture, a game reserve and the train company.
Why this individual is considered successful and/or inspirational
in his life and field of expertise
Sir Richard Branson emerges as one of the worlds most intriguing and charismatic leaders. As Virgin Groups founder, he has an interesting background and approach to the leadership in the context of human resource management. Branson epitomizes good human resource management owing to the adoption of the following tenets:
Recruitment practices that result in the selection of excellent staff
Branson concisely explicates the context information, person specification, and job description in the course of recruiting personnel for respective positions. He applies appropriate tools and selection mechanisms in recruitment. One mechanism Branson is synonymous with is the absorption of top students from reputable universities into his organization, and consequently inducing them into the modus operandi of his organization in a well-planned manner. By so doing, Branson is able to monitor the performance and talent of each individual and hence deploy each respective employee to a specific job description in which he is bound to espouse optimal results based on his talents (Deearlove 2007).
Viable and attractive benefits and compensation packages
Branson believes in hiring the right person for the right job. In so doing, he also holds that the right person ought to be given the right compensation. It is important to give employees compensations that fit their respective markets. Branson treats relativities between individuals and work groups equally (Dearlove 2007).
Management of employee performance
In running his organization, Sir Branson facilitates staff training and development that meets the needs of individuals based on the competencies they require. He has institutionalized a personal development portfolio chartered to enhance skills of his work force, which ultimately translates into higher employee output in the long run, because they have an attachment to the organization for augmenting their personal development (Cameron 2008).
Conformance with legal obligations
Branson gives equal opportunities to the qualified personnel in the organization. His leadership stance is non-discriminatory with regard to the chance for promotion and the right to maintain a position in the organization. His human resource facet guarantees the privacy, health and safety of each and every affiliated employee (Ulrich 2010).
Positive workplace culture
As a human resource manager, Richard Branson is value-defined and driven. His leadership embraces a culture of change in the event of proposition of new viable ideas by employees, effective communication with employees, support for innovation and continuous improvement of quality (Cameron 2008).
How Bransons leadership portfolio will impact my future career
The only true leadership is the value-based leadership. Becoming the best leader does not revolve around emulating a historic figure or role model, but boils down to doing the right thing and leading best way you can in a unique manner. A leader therefore needs to understand his core leadership values and uphold them in effectively managing his organization. One such value is change. An organization that is stagnant is bound to die (DuBrin 2010). Sir Richard Branson recognizes that leadership development best occurs during change. By learning and effectively adopting his innovative ideas, I will be able to do away with the outdated approaches to managing in my organization and future career as a marketing manager. Bransons portfolio will enable me to adopt contemporary ideas that have evolved with time. As epitomized by Branson, communication is an important leadership cue that should constantly underpin the employer-employee relationship. A leadership value that accompanies communication is responsiveness. In managing my subordinates, as a manager, I will learn to be responsive to the needs of these personnel. As Branson cites, in the event that personnel do not hear from you, they end up developing their own scenarios, become timid, and lose motivation and interest. In addition to responsiveness, Bransons leadership approach teaches accountability (DuBrin 2010). Leaders often prove to be extremely vulnerable as individuals. At times the leader is the last person who is aware of a problems existence. Power in leadership can result in corruption and pride. It is therefore important to conform to legal obligations in the organization, with regard to the management of the work force. Discrimination of any manner whatsoever should be abated, employees privacy protected, and their health and safety be catered for as per the legal agreements dictated by their contract. Integrity is yet another important leadership value I have accrued from Branson (DuBrin 2010). Leaders need to take their subordinates to the places where they are not completely comfortable going. With the advent of Virgin Cola, Branson initiated a symbolic battle with Pepsi, when he stormed Times Square in a tank. He led his staff by making a statement. Employees are bound to emulate the integrity carried by their leader and ultimately increase the organizations output. These elements associated with the leadership that Branson stands for will definitely strengthen my capacity as a manager.