chewmark

Sir Richard Branson is one of my favourite business leaders because he is one who truly walks the talk. His work ethics of building relationships first, then business, makes him one for the friendliest leaders I’ve ever known.

Not to forget his hunger for pushing beyond normal boundaries, such as building record companies, mobile phone companies and airlines. He has even brought his aeronautical entrepreneurial skills to outer space, and his latest quest is to dive below the oceans’ depth to unravel the mysteries of the deep.

In this post by Kevin Gale, Branson advises entrepreneurs on the Secrets of Success.

One of his books which is, “Screw it, Just do it”, espouses on the virtue of massive action. While you need to prepare yourself before any endeavour, he commented that it was virtually impossible in having perfect information in any dealings. Therefore, it was a “ready, fire, aim” attitude, that brought him this far.

What do you think?

In my talks, I speak about being 100% prepared and having just 1% talent as the secret of success. Perhaps I can clarify more in this post.

Being 100% prepared is not to be taken literally as having perfect information. It really means Be Bold, Be Brave, and Be Yourself. And this is really modelled after all these successful leaders at work. Do you think that these leaders are the best in what they do? Nope. Rather they have the skills to bring the best people in their team so that the team can deliver its best.

So, a leader of the team doesn’t have to be the best player. He however needs to have the best management skills to get everyone working together for the common goal. But what is this common goal, and is it worthwhile for each employee and manager?

In the above post, Branson quips, “If every single company can become a force for good, the employees will be better motivated. They will work that much harder.”

As a business owner, or leader, you have to decide this worthwhile goal for yourself. Because if you don’t, and all you do is fire-fight every minute, you would have given up on the bigger picture, and most importantly, your team.

In summary, the secrets of success for a business leader, is to first have a worthwhile goal, and then start to build this relationships with your team, and then your customers.

cheers,

Mark