Analysis of Leadership & Fellowship: Richard Branson's Virgin Group

This report provides a detailed analysis of leadership styles and the concept of fellowship, with a specific focus on Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group. It defines various leadership styles, including authoritarian, participative, delegative, democratic, coaching, and transformational leadership, and discusses the influence of gender and culture on leadership. The report also explores the three pillars of leadership: leading from within, leading by example, and leading others. It defines fellowship as a modern leadership perception emphasizing individual values and equal member positions, highlighting the absence of a singular leader and excellent group dynamics. The report justifies Richard Branson's transformational leadership style, citing his strategic vision, rule-breaking approach, and symbolic entrepreneurship. Examples of Branson's fellowship characteristics are provided, emphasizing his egalitarian treatment of employees and promotion of open communication. The report concludes that Branson's leadership combines both high-prospect leadership qualities and specific fellowship characteristics, making him a democratic and participative leader.

Running Head: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT/INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Business Management/Introduction to Professional Practice
Student’s Name
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Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion........................................................................................................................................3
Definition of different leadership style and traits........................................................................3
Influence of Gender and culture on leadership style....................................................................4
Three pillars of leadership............................................................................................................4
Definition of fellowship...............................................................................................................5
Pillars of fellowship.....................................................................................................................5
Background of Richard Branson.....................................................................................................6
Leadership and Fellowship of Richard Branson..........................................................................6
Justification of the style of leadership of Richard Branson......................................................6
Examples of Fellowship of Richard Branson...........................................................................8
Reference List................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
This report makes a detailed discussion on leadership including analysis of the leadership styles
and their categorisation. The quality of organisation fellowship has also been discussed here. In
light of the contexts of the above discussion topics, this report also makes an analysis of the
leadership and fellowship style of Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group of
Industries.
Discussion
Definition of different leadership style and traits
The first style of leadership is authoritarian autocratic leadership where the leader dictates on his
or her employees and direct them exactly what to do and how to do without their participation in
it.
The Second form of leadership is participative leadership where the leader in corporates decision
from other employees in the process of decision making. However the leader has the authority of
making the end decision (Fazzi & Zamaro, 2016).
The third side of leadership is delegative leadership or laissez-faire leadership. this kind of leader
allows the subordinates or employees to undertake decisions. However the leader is actually
accountable for the decision that is undertaken.
The next style of leadership is democratic leadership style. This is another version of
participative leadership where the leader accepts Expert Opinion from the other experience team
members.

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The coaching leadership style is another form of leadership where the leaders do not directly to
the members but indirectly guide them. The leader mainly undertakes a supervisory role in this
kind of leadership where the primary leadership activities are boosting motivation of employees,
enhancing their performance skills and grooming the team for overall success (Yahaya &
Ebrahim, 2016).
The last and the most effective form of leadership is transformational leadership where leaders
develop driving work culture by means of effective communication and his strategic vision along
with intellectual stimulation. In spite of setting high organisational goals, the team under
transformational leaders are able to perform within deadline and keep integration within the team
members.
Influence of Gender and culture on leadership style
Thee gender influences on leadership behaviour is evident. Men have stereotype leadership
characteristics like confidence, independence decisiveness as well as assertion and rationality.
The styles of leadership suited to their gender stereotype are authoritarian leadership, coaching
style of leadership charismatic leadership as well as transformational leadership. On the contrary,
the women stereotypes associated with leadership include behaviour like sensitivity, nurturing,
caring as well as warmth. In this context it requires mention that the leader exhibit in these
characteristics is mostly laissez-faire leaders (Rawat et al. 2019). They also exhibit leadership
styles like coaching leadership, transformational leadership, and participative leadership and so
on.
Three pillars of leadership

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The three pillars of leadership are leading from within comma leading by example as well as
leading others.
Leading from within involves the attitude of developing a lasting cultural shift in the
organisation by the leader. Search leaders require a strategy as well as strong vision and action
plan. This is a top-down form of leadership and are mostly supportive in cases of
transformational, autocratic, coaching and charismatic styles of leadership.
Leading by example involves characteristics like consistency as well as integrity from leader as
an account of which he or she can expect the same from the other team members also. This form
of leadership is mostly exhibited by strategic leaders, transformational leaders or coaching
leaders. The take the example of their journey and struggle while directing the team (Mackoff &
Meadows, 2017).
The third pillar of leadership actually leads the team with a consolidated leadership plan by
implementing principles and the best practices. In short, the third pillar of leadership requires
leaders to delegate value as well as skill needed to be incorporated in the team and constantly
look back for evaluation on a regular basis.
Definition of fellowship
Fellowship can be defined to be a modern perception of leadership and is developed on the idea
of the individual values incorporated by a member into the group so that every member of the
group is able to achieve their goal. The most essential denominator of worship is that there is no
individual leader or superior member everybody holds equal position and different people can
take over the role of cylinder at different points of time for serving the best interests of the group.
Pillars of fellowship

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The main pillar of Fellowship is that the tag of a leader is not associated with it. Again, in case of
fellowship the general outcome is excellent group dynamics (Christenbery et al. 2019).
Fellowship insurance excellent communication and it is always easy to approach A fellowship
leader for help.
Background of Richard Branson
Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur as well as the founder of virgin group Limited
He is famous for his publicity stunts and setting records in powerboat racing as well as hot air
ballooning. His first successful business was during his teenage with the magazine Student. The
Virgin mail order records were set up later and in 1971 the British discount record store was
opened by him. The phenomenal success was achieved when he developed the Virgin Galactic
which is a space tourism company working towards offering commercial suborbital flights to the
passengers. In 2006, the division of Virgin mobile was sold by him and in the same year the
collaborative entertainment companies, namely VirginComics as well as Virgin animation
Private Limited was established (Avery, 2017).
Leadership and Fellowship of Richard Branson
Justification of the style of leadership of Richard Branson
In the first place it deserves mention that Richard Branson followed the transformational style of
leadership. It is clearly specified in this report that transformational leadership is exhibited by a
leader who develops his own strategic vision. The two leadership pillars of leading by example
and leading others are exhibited by a transformational leader. The framework of activities
executed by the organisational members is a part of the strategic vision and strong Action Plan
implemented by the transformation leader. In this context it deserves mention that in an

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interview Richard Branson has described his leadership style to be a rule breaker. It is there,
where he establishes the justification of his inclusion into the category of transformational
leaders. Transformational leaders generally do not follow the original organisational framework
of activities and develops their own strategic plan according to reach his team members work
under him. After the initial success of virgin Records, it was Richard Branson's strategic idea to
translate into a market of wide product categories as well as services (Mishra, 2016). The
organisation perhaps did not have the capacitors or resourcefulness to launch Virgin Galactic at
that time, had it been not for the strategic leadership of Richard Branson, which is another aspect
of his leadership qualities.
Examples of unit and strategic vision of Richard Branson is evident in the way he attracted
LimeLight not only by the didn't of success office organisation but also by means of his own
personality. Many business analysts have later recognised that because of the charming and
celebrity live status of his Lifestyle, the stock shares office organisation has also been positively
impact it, many times when his business was running low. Another basic quality of a
transformational or a strategic leader is there capacity of exhibiting symbolic entrepreneurship.
The characteristics of dynamic as well as symbolic entrepreneurship is evident in the multi-
coloured ideas for advertisements, innovative strategies and personal leadership in the internal
atmosphere office workplace, that he invited as the founder of the organisation (Lambert, Bassell
& Friedman, 2017). The leadership characteristics exhibited by him includes fun, anti-
establishment, competitive, workaholic, risk taker as well as opportunist. It is essential for a
transformational leader to establish effective communication with the organisational members
and always maintained light-hearted atmosphere with them so that they can easily understand
and implement his strategic vision. The same characteristics where evident in his leadership

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qualities, as it is evident from various sources that he was warm, friendly as well as funny with
his organisational members, in the way of maintaining a healthy leader member relationship with
all the stakeholders.
Examples of Fellowship of Richard Branson
Along with leadership qualities of high prospect, Richard Branson had always exhibited specific
Fellowship characteristics also. it has been already described in this report that Fellowship can be
considered to be a modern form of leadership. it is not necessary that a leader will be able to
guide the employees in all stages of operations for his knowledge will be surfacing and most
efficient in all fields of operation of the company. This is why, modern analysts have categorised
leadership into two subdivisions of Fellowship and citizenship. Fellowship implies that a leader
or any other organisational member will not promote them to an exclusive position and still take
up the task of guiding the organisational members in the best possible way. The activity of
Fellowship is not confined to any individual person in a team. It can be a responsible it is shared
by several respectable as well as experienced organisational members. In this context it is
evident that there is no division between the members exhibiting Fellowship and the
subordinates. They all are equal and there is no hierarchical barrier (Muegge & Reid, 2018).
These qualities were always available in the working methodologies of Richard Branson. He
treated his employees like his equal, and expressed on several locations that his Organisation was
his family and never forgot to pay respect to any individual member of any organisational
hierarchy. Exhibiting exceptional Fellowship he invited the most junior members of his
organisation two parties hosted in his own home. Similarly, he give the opportunity to any
organisation provide feedback and suggestions. Because of the fellowship characteristics, the
organisational members in his company had the freedom to perform without interference from

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the superior managers. However, the most essential Fellowship quality exhibited by him is that
he never kept himself confined to the managerial or directorial activities. At his will and at the
need of the company he came down to help the operational level of employees also. This is why,
his side of leadership is also often categorised to be democratic or even participative leadership.

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Reference List
Avery, G. (2017). Top leaders shift their thinking on corporate social responsibility. Strategy &
Leadership, 45(3), 45-46.
Christenbery, T., Williamson, A., Sandlin, V., & Wells, N. (2016). Immersion in evidence-based
practice fellowship program: a transforming experience for staff nurses. Journal for nurses in
professional development, 32(1), 15.
Fazzi, G., & Zamaro, N. (2016). Exploring the interplay between leadership styles and PSM in
two organisational settings. International Journal of Manpower, 37(5), 859-877.
Lambert, S., Bassell, M., & Friedman, H. H. (2017). Leadership in a Knowledge Economy:
Building an Innovative Marketing and Branding Organization.
Mackoff, B. L., & Meadows, M. T. (2017). Examining the educational experiences and
outcomes of the American Organization of Nurse Executives Nurse Manager Fellowship
Program: a multiclass study. Journal of Nursing Administration, 47(5), 250-252.
Mishra, A. S. (2016). The Role of Corporate Leadership in Business Growth. Effective
Executive, 19(2), 5.
Muegge, S. M., & Reid, E. (2018, August). Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic: A Case Study
of Entrepreneuring as Emancipation. In 2018 Portland International Conference on Management
of Engineering and Technology (PICMET) (pp. 1-10). IEEE.
Rawat, P. S., Rawat, S. K., Sheikh, A., & Kotwal, A. (2019). Women Organization
Commitment: Role of the Second Career & Their Leadership Styles. Indian Journal of Industrial
Relations, 54(3).

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Yahaya, R., & Ebrahim, F. (2016). Leadership styles and organizational commitment: literature
review. Journal of Management Development, 35(2), 190-216.