Sir Richard Branson uses participative leadership to enact change at Virgin by envisioning alleviating global warming, engaging employees by listening to their ideas, and enacting changes like committing $3B over 10 years. He employs autonomous leaders who listen to employees and customers to bring out the best in people. In contrast, Alex Ferguson uses autocratic leadership for Manchester United due to little room for error in high-pressure sports.

1. Sir Richard Branson

2. 'Having a personality of caring
about people is important. You
can’t be a good leader unless you
generally like people. That is how
you bring out the best in them.‘
Sir Richard Branson

3. Richard’s Background
• Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson
• Born in England on July 18 1950
• Chairman of the Virgin Group
• Net worth approx. $4.2 billion

4. Richard’s Background
• His first business venture was a magazine
called Student at the age of 16
• He founded Virgin record in 1970- the first of
his Virgin ventures

5. Company Background
• Virgin is the leading international investment
group
• Richard is the driving force at the centre of
150-200 companies, employing more that
50,000 people in 34 countries
• Virgin group companies are apart of one big
family rather than a hierarchy

6. How Sir Richard Branson used leadership
concepts to initiate a specific change initiative.
• Sir Richard Branson used leadership concepts in an
attempt to alleviate the effects of global warming
(committing $3b over the next ten years) by:
• Taking risks
• Making decisions about entering markets
• Exercising foresight and creativity
• Employing others
• Persuading

7. Continued
• Selling, making things happen
• Creating companies
• Perceiving business opportunities
• Managing the workforce

8. 3’s- Envision, Engage, Enact
• Peter Cammock proposes a three-task model for how to lead with a
goal of achieving change. The tasks of the model include
“Envisioning”, “Engaging” and “Enacting” (Cammock, 2003).
• Sir Richard Branson has adopted Cammock’s 3-stage leadership
model in order to bring about change within his organization.
• For Sir Richard Branson the vision is the alleviation of global
warming. From here support is gained from potential adherents and
a deep relationship is formed.
• At Virgin Airlines, Sir Richard Branson has informed his staff of the
changes that need to occur within the organization to achieve his
vision and the employees have agreed to work together toward
achieving the vision.

9. Participative leadership
• Participative Leadership is the style of leadership in
which the leader involves team members with input to
goal setting, problem solving and team building
decisions, but retains the final decision making
authority.
• Branson’s first chunk of advice is to find good people
and listen to them. “Assemble a great management
team that has a vision, passion and a real sense of
ownership,” he says. “Look for leaders who listen - both
to employees and customers,” adding further that
what results in brilliant customer service and
innovative product development are leaders who seek
the feedback of their employees and customers.

10. Continued
• “When things start going wrong, it’s often
because staff members feel they are being
ignored and good ideas are not bubbling to
the top,” he says, explaining that the best
CEOs are not concerned with the size of their
office “or the thickness of the carpet”, and
instead place greater emphasis on unearthing
what their employees are thinking and feeling.

11. Sir Richard Branson vs. Alex Fergusson
Sir Richard Branson:
• “Laissez-faire” (delegative leadership)
What it is
• Hands-off typed leadership style
• Provides employees with autonomy

12. Continued
• Sir Richard Branson employees only the best
employees (people who are highly
skilled, experienced, educated, motivated and
independent workers who are
trustworthy, responsible self-driven, and take
great deal of pride in their work). By employing
only the cream of the crop he can allow
autonomy and trust that they will still do their
jobs well.
• The organization has room for creativity and
flexibility, therefore employees are enabled to
have autonomy in their roles.

13. Continued
Alex Fergusson:
• Autocratic Leadership
• Used in organizations such as the military of high-class sports
teams. Alex Fergusson, who is the coach of Manchester, united.
Alex has led his team to victory in many matches while utilizing
autocratic leadership.
What is it?
• One leader who will make all of the necessary decisions based
upon their own judgment and ideas and would rarely take advice
from employees within the organization
• Adopted in organizations where there is little room for error, and
control is essential.
• Used in time of pressure of stress (people prefer this method of
leadership under these circumstances.

14. Continued
Why is it necessary in Manchester United sports team?
• There is little room for error and control is
necessary. One mistake could determine the
conclusion of the game.