Analysis of an Effective Leader in Virgin Atlantic Group - Case Study Example

Running Head: LEADERSHIP                          Leadership   Name Institution Date Introduction A Leader is defined as a person who influences a group of other individuals in order to accomplish a common goal. An effective leader therefore is an individual with a vision, a drive and a commitment to achieve a common goal, by steering others towards the common goal, leading the way by example, and in so doing, creating an environment where other players feel actively involved in the whole process (Kotelnikov, 2010). Effective leadership is regarded by many as the key to organizational success especially in the changing business environment. Various personalities can be endorsed as effective leaders based on their accomplishments and the ability to influence others to attain organizational gaols. This particular paper therefore seeks to give an analysis of Richard Brandson, CEO, Virgin Atlantic Group, as an effective leader. The paper will evaluate factors or attributes that have contributed to his effectiveness as a leader. In addition, this paper will also provide a training and development program that might increase such attributes in individuals aspiring to get leaderships roles. One attribute that makes Brandson an effective leader is his unique ability of managing people and developing them. As noted earlier, leadership is all about influencing others in the right way in order to attain the objectives of the organization. Brandon believes that finding the right people and creating a working environment where the employees are able to flourish and develop a profitable business is essential (Beeston, 2010). As a result Brandson believes in treating his employees as an extended family as opposed to perceiving them as just people working for him. Beeston (2010) highlights that; Brandson has also been success in developing his staff by creating a working environment for learning. Brandson believes that people learn by making mistakes and by testing. As a result every employee is given an opportunity to explore their skills and ability without any sort of interference from management. Brandson has therefore left a legacy in his organization whereby not his brand name is left when he lives the organization, but rather people within the organization will be able to steer on the organization even after he is gone. Another strong attribute in Branson’s leadership style is his strong-willed determination to create a shared vision. According to Di Frances (2005), every effective leader has to instill a shared vision of where the organization is going and what is essential in attaining the stated goal. As an effective leader, Branson’s influence based on his attribute to create a shared vision has been exerted in altering moods, stirring up images and expectations, as well as in establishing specific desires and objectives that have helped in determining the direction that the Virgin Atlantic Group has taken as an organization. The net result is that Brandson has been able to change how his followers consider what is achievable or desirable in terms of goals. Therefore, Branson has been able to instill his passion for particular goals on those he leads. Di Frances (2005) highlights that; Brandon’s effective leadership attribute is based on his strong-willed determination to create a shared vision for his organization. This is because he has instilled his desire to achieve in those he has employed. The shared vision has helped the Virgin Atlantic Group’s continued growth and success, regardless of any negative external circumstance. Another leadership attribute of Branson worth highlighting is based on his trait as an effective communicator. Effective communication is an important attribute to those who are leading as well as following.According to Mayer (2009); this attribute has been demonstrated through Branson’s spontaneous visits (drop-ins) of his staff in any level within the Virgin Atlantic Group ranks in order to obtain ideas and feedbacks. This simple act has helped reduce the filtering of information by successfully decreasing organization hierarchy as well as increasing accessibility to top management, in so doing, decreasing the power distance within the Virgin Group. Richard Branson demonstrates a high level of autonomy as well as an effective system of communication for its employees, an indication that it is a flat organization. This attribute has made decision making at Virgin Group faster and more efficient, therefore,if it decides to expand having a flat structure, it would be advantageous owing to the fact that effects of failure will be less significant. Emotional intelligence forms another significant factor or attribute that has contributed to Branson’s effectiveness as a leader. According to Kotelnikov (2010), 67 per cent of the essential competencies vital for effective leadership today are emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence can be described as the ability to correctly identify one’s own and other people’s emotion. As Kotelnikov (2010) highlights, leaders who are emotionally intelligent are more likely to attain results as well as effective in managing the complexities involved in organizational transformation and leading change. These leaders are known to do extremely well at developing relationships that bring about a fast-moving, adaptive and resonant organizational culture. As part of his way to get his followers to identify with the organization and himself, Mayer (2009) argues that Branson seems also to be very gifted in managing his organization’s mood. He seems self responsive and empathetic, while naturally comprehending how others feel and gauging the organization’s emotional state. According to Mayer (2009), Branson demonstrates clear skills of his ability to read other’s emotion as well as assessing the mood of his own culture, while also having incredible skills on how he can adapt his style and approach to the particular situation or context he is in. Kotelnikov (2010) describes the aspect of emotional intelligence as one of the fundamental ways of becoming an effective leader, something that Branson also portrays in how he reads himself and his followers. Another significant factor or attribute that has contributed to Branson’s effectiveness as a leader is his innovative attribute. This attribute forms one of the strongest themes in his dogged determination to achieve his goals. According to Di Frances (2005), an effective leader develops new ideas and ways of fixing things. An Effective leader therefore uses his inventiveness to come up with reasonable solutions to problems. Mills et.al (2006), reveals that Virgin Group’s success has been ascribed to his innovative entrepreneurial ideas. Mills et.al (2006) highlights that the Virgin Group has since 1973, attained a cult status globally due to Branson’s innovative ways of exploiting business. Branson’s greatest strength has therefore been based on his creativity and innovativeness attribute. Branson is, for instance, credited for launching his initial discount record mail order enterprise in the UK.Soon the company started producing and establishing themselves as a leading UK recording studio. In the 1980’s the Virgin Group began to expand, creating Virgin Vision in the 1983. Other exclusive achievements that have proved his innovativeness include purchasing a recording studio and producing a hit with the album Tubular Bells, the establishment of the Virgin Cargo and Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984, and the Virgin Holidays in 1985 (Mills et.al,2006). Richard Branson’s charismatic attribute has also has also been a factor to his effectiveness as a successful organizational leader. As a charismatic leader, he has relied on his individual charisma to lead and inspire. This type of leadership demonstrated by Branson has been able to create a feeling within the company that there is a direct connection between the company’s success and his presence as a charismatic leader. This unique attribute has meld together to create distinguishing organization culture that only the Virgin Group can claim to have (InSpir3d, 2006). Branson’s charismatic attribute has therefore been an asset that many organizations have not been able to replicate. His charismatic attribute has been synonymous with the Virgin Brand making Virgin Group a unique company. According to InSpir3d (2006), Branson has been able to infuse his charismatic attribute within the company by setting up policies and rituals that are tied to his personal beliefs. This has worked well for many years, as it has built a sense of pride that has become a corporate calling card. Training and Development for Staff that may Increase Leadership attributes Like Richard Brandon’s Training and development is vital in developing leadership especially for staff who are aspiring leadership roles in future. Training can be described as organized activities such as workshops, seminars and short courses that are given to members of staff at a specified period of time. On the other hand employee development is a continuous process or an ongoing process where employees continue to learn on their jobs. Development as a learning process therefore allows employees to apply and learn as they develop their skills, expertise and confidence. As highlighted by the behavioral theory of leadership, leadership is an attribute that can be learnt. As a result employees who aspire to take up leadership role can undertake a human resource training and development leadership program that can assist them in being effective leaders in the future. People Management and development Managing and developing people are core elements of leadership. The core areas of training will include; Employee development and training, team building and building strong relations. Power of Collective Ambition Training concerning the power of collective ambition is one of the essential training areas that can be provided to employees aspiring to be leaders. One of the key leadership attributes of Richard Brandson as an effective leader is the creation of a shared vision. As highlighted earlier, Brandson was able to influence change on his followers to share the vision of taking the organization to where it needs to be in the future. The focus areas of the training will include area such as; how to develop visions for the organization, how to get every employee to share the organizations vision and how to attain organizational objectives through creating a shared vision. Communication Skills Another key training that can be provided is communication skills. Communication is an essential skill in leadership which has proven difficult for many aspiring leaders. As a result the training on communication is essential. The core areas of focus include; strategies of good communication; listening skills, assertiveness in communication, giving and receiving feedback and empathetic communication. Emotional intelligence Training on Emotional intelligence is another essential area of training and development for aspiring leaders. The core areas of training on emotional training include; empathic listening, Perceiving Emotions, Perceiving Emotions, Understanding Emotions and Managing Emotions. Personality development Training on personality development is another essential training and development area that can be offered to staff aspiring leadership. Personality development is a significant area that will facilitate the development of leadership qualities such as Charisma. As highlighted earlier Richard Brandon’s attribute of charisma has assisted him to develop distinguishing organization culture and success. Innovativeness Training on Innovativeness is another essential area of training and development for aspiring leaders. An effective leader such as Richard Branson should have the ability to come up with new ideas and ventures that will progress the organization to higher level. In addition an innovative leader should be able to take advantage of new opportunities in the changing market in order to establish a competitive advantage. The core areas of focus in the training include ;Utilizing opportunities in the market and employee involvement in innovation HRD Program A HRD program on leadership is course that equips employees with strategic skills, knowledge that will assist them to be effective leader Type of Program and Attendants of the HRD Leadership Program The program is designed for employees who are aspiring to be future leaders in the organization; they may be one or two steps to the leadership level. The program will be an in-house type of training that will run for three months Section I: HRD Program Name of Program Number and position of Staff member Dates and status Core areas of Focus Outcomes People Management and development Assistant HR manager (2 Staff) Jan3-20 2012 Employee development and training, Team building Building strong relations. Improved skills in people management and team building Power of Collective Ambition Strategic Management Officer Departmental Heads (10 Staff) Jan3-20 2012 Vision Development , Creating a shared vision Improved skills Vision development Communication Skills Marketing Executives Departmental Heads (15Staff) Jan20- Feb 15 2012 Listening skills, assertiveness in communication, Receiving and giving feedback Empathetic communication Improved skills in communication Personality development Assistant HR manager Departmental Heads Communication Officer (2o Staff) Feb 15-25 2012 How to be a charismatic leader Improved skills in leadership relations Innovativeness Marketing Executives Departmental Heads (15Staff) Feb 25-March4 th Utilizing opportunities in the market and employee involvement in innovation Improved skills in innovation Section 2: HRD Budget Allocation Training Priority Funding Source January 2012 Feb 2012 March 2012 In House Training Programs External Training Programs Conclusion From the above analysis, what is evident is that Richard Branson is indeed an effective leader based on his own unique style of leadership. The paper has highlighted various leadership qualities that make him an effective leader, this include good people management and development , innovativeness ,good communication skills , charisma and development of a shared vision . Brandson is therefore a personality that can act as a benchmark for other organizations and aspiring leaders to emulate. References Beeston, P. (2010). Belief Model for The Leadership of Richard Branson. Harvard Business Review Di Frances, J. ( 2005). The Six Essential Leadership Attributes InSpir3d. ( 2006). Virgin's Corporate Strategy. Kotelnikov, V.(2010). Leadership Attributes: Personal Qualities that Constitute Effective Leadership. Sage. Mills, J, Mills, J.C, Bratton, J and Forshaw, C.( 2006). Organizational Behaviour in a Global Context‎ . Mayer, D. (2004). Leading by Feel. Harvard Business Review, Pp 28-37. Northouse, P. (2009). Leadership: Theory and Practice‎. McGraw-Hill. Read More