Leadership - Richard Branson - Case Study Example

Leadership – Richard Branson Student’s Name: Course Code: Lecture’s Name: Date of Submission: Executive Summary This report has been motivated by the notion that no organization can achieve a higher level of productivity and by extension profitability if the quality of the leadership in the organization is not upto the standard. This report therefore has looked into the concept of leadership and its effectiveness that is geared towards improving the profitability of the organization. The report has identified a leader, in this case, Sir Richard Branson, the leader and the proprietor of Virgin Atlantic airline company. It begins with an overview of what leadership is and later followed by a study of the main leadership theories that are associated with the leader of choice, that have made him one of the most influential leaders in the global business environment. They include theory of managerial grid, contingency theory, path goal theory, and behavioral theory among others. The report also gives recommendations on how the leadership of organizations can make use of their abilities in order to achieve profitability and at the same time ensure that the people they lead have their welfare well taken care of. The report recommends that the leadership should have technical proficiency, be able to communicate well with their subordinates, ensure that the tasks are well understood and well supervised and lastly, a good leader should be one that leads by example by taking responsibility of their actions before asking their subordinates to do so. This report comes to a conclusion that the success of any leader is guaranteed if the leadership styles, methods and principles of leadership are well applied in the process of management since quality leadership offers the organization a great opportunity to refine leadership and policies of management as well as practices by making use of the basic principles postulated in the theories of leadership. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Leadership Analysis 5 Leader Sir Richard Branson and Situation Context 5 The leadership styles of Sir Richard Branson 6 The theory of managerial grid 7 The leader Style theory of leadership 7 The contingency theory of leadership 8 The path goal theory of leadership 9 Behavioral theory of management 9 A discussion of how you would lead differently 10 Conclusion 11 Bibliography 13 Introduction Leadership is concerned with influencing a group of people to carry out a certain task with an aim of achieving a specific organizational objective. There is a general agreement that for one to exercise good leadership, then one must have relevant experience, must be committed and most of all have the ability to interact and work harmoniously with others for the common good of the organization (Daft, 2005). It is true to say that good leadership is a product of a never ending cycle of training, systems of education as well as gaining the relevant leadership experience. According to studies, the foundation of a good leader is one that has a strong personality as well as a devotion to fulfill the aspirations of the people they lead and the organization at large (Darling et al 2012). From an employee point of view, a good leader is one whose actions influence the attainment of the origination’s objectives and at the same time takes care of the welfare of the employees. Leadership is about making use of the available limited resources in making sure that the goals of the organization are met and at the same time individual stakeholder objectives are achieved (Bischoff, 2007). This report aims to use the leadership theories to critically analyze and evaluate the leadership of Sir Richard Branson the founder and proprietor of virgin Atlantic and approximately two hundred other companies that he has an interest in all over the world and how his leadership skills have enabled him to become one of the greatest business magnates in the world. The report will also have a recommendation on what should be done better if I was in Sir Richard Branson’s position in order to gain the trust of the followers and achieve greatness. The report is going to look at the early life of Richard Branson and how he rose to become a great leader. It will also look at the leadership theories that Richard is associated with. Leadership Analysis Leader Sir Richard Branson and Situation Context Sir Richard Branson was born in 18th July 1950 in England to Edward and Eve Branson. Richard Branson is reported to have greatly struggled in his education in his early years of schooling and had to change schools as a result of this (Hughes and Panzo, 2015). He in fact dropped out of school at the age of sixteen to establish a youth culture magazine that was called A Student. The publications made him so much money through the advertisements that the magazine ran on a daily basis. This brought him the thought of establishing a mail order company came to his mind whose intention was to boost the sales of his publications. Ever since, Richard Branson has initiated very ambitious business ventures that include the famous Virgin Atlantic airlines. He has over 200 companies associated to his name with an approximate fortune that is believed to be worth 2.5 Billion dollars (Sowcik & Allen, 2013). The Virgin Atlantic airline is one of his greatest income generators with over forty aircrafts flying to over 35 destinations all over the world. He has established himself to become one of the greatest business leaders. A recent study by the financial times describes how Richard is seen as an individual who encourages people to do great things out of the ordinary. He is said to be sensitive to the needs of others, has charisma and loves to take risks. His employees love him a lot. On a number of occasions, Richard Branson has been voted as the most preferred employer in Britain. According to reports, working for Richard is adventurous owing to the fact that he has his own ways of motivating people (Schawbel, 2014). His subordinates are full of praise for his leadership skills and have in fact organized so many bonding sessions with his employees to achieve loyalty from his staff. He is in many occasions quoted as having remarked that organizations should not only look at profit maximizing as their chief aim. He always refers to people who work with him as a part of his family. The leadership styles of Sir Richard Branson Leadership is defined as the act of influencing people to act in a specific way in order to achieve some organizational goals. Leadership has been likened to beauty, which we can all see but it difficult to give its description (Schawbel, 2014). Richard Branson has set a roadmap in which his subordinates are able to look ahead and make sense of what they need to achieve. An organization without leadership will always fall victim to disagreements, conflicts and arguments since each individual looks at things from different perspectives. The concept of leadership is one of the most debated topic ever know and have since time in memorial played a huge role in all parts of the society (Hughes, et al., 2015). There are a number of character traits and leadership styles practiced by different leaders seen throughout the history of mankind. Most of these leaders chose a leadership path that propelled them to greatness and have had their names studied in the management books. This is the reason this report is studying Sir Richard Branson, a business leader with so many achievements to his name (Sowcik & Allen, 2013). This report will discuss the theories that are used by Richard Branson in his leadership of the people who follow him. The discussion is based on how the application through the work, his leadership styles and how the theories can be applied effectively. There are a number of theories available and the report will discuss a few of them below The theory of managerial grid The theory of managerial grid was formulated by Robert Blake and Anne Adams McCansel. The theory identifies the management and leadership that are based on the concerns for productivity as well as the people working in the organization (Amanchukwu, et al. 2015). The theory recognizes the fact that effective leaders of organizations are those that have the concerns of the people they lead as well as their productivity (Hughes, et al., 2015). This is the type of leadership Richard Branson can be associated with. He has concerns of his people in his heart. Richard Branson is the kind of leader who achieves the highest level of productivity by motivating his workers. He is also very flexible and understand the fact that change has to be embraced in order to remain competitive (Hughes and Panzo, 2015). Richard Branson can be said to have embraced this theory to a great extent. This is because he personalizes the problems of his workers and will usually have the concerns of his employees at heart. The leader Style theory of leadership The theory was developed by Vroom and Yetton. It gives a description of the diverse ways in which the leaders can make the critical top level management and how to determine the extent in which the employees can be allowed to take part in decision making (Hughes and Panzo, 2015). The model holds the view that the decisions made in the organization should be of the highest quality possible and that the employees should embrace and show commitment to the decisions that have been made in the organization (Hughes, et al., 2015). Richard Branson has a culture of involving employees in decision making as well as other critical aspects within the organization. This theory was developed in light of the fact that a number of occasions, there have been cases of resistance to change, especially where the subordinates were not involved in the decision making process (Bischoff, 2007). Therefore, by Richard Branson involving his subordinates in decision making, they have no been resistance in his organization when major changes are taking place. His subordinates feel part and parcel of the organizations, hence embracing changes easily and subsequent success of the organizations. The contingency theory of leadership The model was developed by Fred Fiedler, the contingency theory of leadership fronts three main situations that are believed to influence leadership in an organization (Hughes, et al., 2015). They include the relationship between a leader and the subordinates, the level of confidence the leader enjoys from its subordinates as well as the power that is wielded by the leaders (Yukl 2012). The situations describe the level of loyalty that the leaders receive from their subordinates as well as the support the leader is accorded by the organization as well as their supervisors. This is the case with Richard Branson who receives a great level of loyalty from his subordinates as well as great support. His relationship with subordinate is very healthy, hence they respect the organizations as well as decisions and changes made. This model stipulates that no single leadership style is suitable for all the leadership situations in management. Contingency therefore is considered those conditions that exist in any environment have to be considered when creating the design of an organization ((Hughes, et al., 2015)). The path goal theory of leadership The theory suggests that those leaders who are deemed to be successful are those that increase the motivation of their subordinates by making it clear to them the paths that should be taken in order to enhance organizational productivity (Hughes, et al., 2015). Developed by Robert Housea, a successful leader is one who motivates their subordinates in order to achieve both individual and organizational goals like in the case of Richard Branson. The theory postulates that the leader needs to establish a rewarding scheme so that those staff members who perform at the highest level will yield positive results in terms of productivity. Richard Branson as per the theory makes the workers to have a belief in their ability to perform at the highest level of expectations. Richard Branson takes a keen interest in the abilities of his subordinates and how these abilities can be made more productive (Hughes and Panzo, 2015). Behavioral theory of management The theory is based on a popular belief that leaders are made and not born (Hughes, et al., 2015). The model places its attention on the action of the leader rather than their intellectual capacity and can learn leadership by undergoing training as well as making observations on leadership just like the case of Richard Branson. Richard Branson developed leadership skills with time. The author of the theory stipulates that the behavior of the subordinates in any organization depends on the leadership styles of their leaders. Staffs who are led by autocratic leaders will usually work at their best level as long as their bosses are around and will usually be less motivated (Bischoff, 2007). The group led by a democratic leader on the other hand has a more positive approach to work and will usually perform at the highest level, even when the leader is absent and do not in any way show hostility. At Richard Branson’s organization, subordinates work with high spirits regardless of whether he is around or not, this is because he always considerate and democratic and he cares for his staff. A discussion of how you would lead differently As a leader of the organization I would ensure that the tasks are well understood, proper supervision done and to ensure that the tasks are accomplished at the right time. A leader has to have the ability to communicate by talking with the subordinates and not talking to them. A successful leader is one spends most their office time communicating. Studies in the past have shown that leaders of organizations spent between seventy to ninety percent of their time every day communicating in one way or another (Daft, 2005). The second thing I would do is to develop a sense of responsibility amongst their subordinates. It starts with the leader taking responsibility for actions that cost the organization. He or she should not pass on the blame this would breed resentment from the workers (Malakyan 2014). The leader needs to develop proper character that will help the employees carry out their duties in a diligent and professional way without the need for constant supervision. As a good leader, I would also ensure that I have a technical proficiency. He or she must clearly understand their duties and be able to carry out those duties effectively. The leader also needs to understand the tasks of each and every employee they lead as well as their strengths and weaknesses regarding their execution of their duties (Hughes, et al., 2015). As a good leader, I would make sure that all the sections of the organization receive equal treatment and attention from the top level management. The leader should not only divert all the resources into the departments they are oriented to. Training should be done to the whole team, as should promotions and transfers. They should create a perception of fairness as this would motivate and boost the morale of the employees who will work hard to achieve the highest level of productivity (Bischoff, 2007). Conclusion The report has described the leadership skills of Sir Richard Branson, a well known and celebrated entrepreneur, credited for the establishment of the Virgin Atlantic airlines and over two hundred other companies with an approximate net worth of 2.5billion dollars of fortune. Richard Branson is credited for having a goal oriented approach, that includes the supporting and empowering of the people he works with. His style of leadership endeared him to his staff that have always been proud of him, and have led him to being voted the most in favor bosses in Britain on several occasions. Most of the contemporary theories of leadership postulate the principles under which a leader need to adhere to for them to achieve greatness and organizational profitability. A huge part of the principle stipulates the relationship between the leader and the employees and the ways in which the leader can motivate the employees by closely interacting with them and at the same time personalize their grievances. All these have been attributed to the success stories of Richard Branson the founder and the leader of Virgin Atlantic. This explains the reasons why Sir Richard Branson is one of the most recognized business leaders in the world. The outcome of the report shows that once the organization employs the relevant leadership theories, the efforts of the leader have had a positive influence on the behavior and the skills in their organizations and thus conclude that Richard Branson is a very effective leader who needs to be emulated by people who aspire to achieve such a high level of managerial success in their life. 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