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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
Never happier than when I am at a beach (or on a boat, or sitting in the back yard) with a book by Richard Branson that I have not read. Color me hard-to-please, but I don't have enough opportunity to read for pleasure and learning at the same time. Sir Richard consistently delivers on both counts, and I could not be more grateful for his efforts.
I love it that he's never read a book on leadership. It's just another one of those things that he has taught himself to do... like develop a business, jump out of a falling hot air balloon, conduct a conference call from a hammock... Clearly, he has many natural talents, but it is his effort to hone skills, try things, fail, ask others for advice, throw a party, and try something different that set him apart. How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead is a good subtitle for Branson's whole life. How to Persevere, Persist, Persuade and Prevail would work just as well.
Among the many lessons in this book is the idea that competing with the big boys is possible... as long as we remember to play a different game, choose a different niche. (This is also the point of Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath.) As long as an entrepreneur is filling a need that customers are experiencing, s/he can be successful. Virgin Mobile doesn't lock customers into contracts, Virgin's airlines don't heard people around like sheep, and Virgin Money focuses on social responsibility. All were once small, start-up businesses.
Above all, The Virgin Way is about following our own passions and letting the chips fall where they may. The fact that life is good for Sir Richard (who turned 65 last week) is a testament to his way of being. He's an excellent role model and teacher. I hope he keeps churning out books for many more years to come.
I love it that he's never read a book on leadership. It's just another one of those things that he has taught himself to do... like develop a business, jump out of a falling hot air balloon, conduct a conference call from a hammock... Clearly, he has many natural talents, but it is his effort to hone skills, try things, fail, ask others for advice, throw a party, and try something different that set him apart. How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead is a good subtitle for Branson's whole life. How to Persevere, Persist, Persuade and Prevail would work just as well.
Among the many lessons in this book is the idea that competing with the big boys is possible... as long as we remember to play a different game, choose a different niche. (This is also the point of Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath.) As long as an entrepreneur is filling a need that customers are experiencing, s/he can be successful. Virgin Mobile doesn't lock customers into contracts, Virgin's airlines don't heard people around like sheep, and Virgin Money focuses on social responsibility. All were once small, start-up businesses.
Above all, The Virgin Way is about following our own passions and letting the chips fall where they may. The fact that life is good for Sir Richard (who turned 65 last week) is a testament to his way of being. He's an excellent role model and teacher. I hope he keeps churning out books for many more years to come.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This book has some nuggets of wisdom that are fantastic. Too bad I found the need to "slog" through the rest of it. Well worth your time but be prepared for much of it to be applicable to few, rather than most.
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Read this once, and write down the important stuff. Not too bad imo considering how much I loathe this genre
I listened to the audiobook.
Some leadership books are well-thought-out and well-researched...and some are like this book. Branson is a great entrepreneur, but his leadership skills seems to come from intuition and natural ability. And when someone doesn’t have to work at being a good leader, then they can’t really teach it or even talk about it.
This book is full of obvious suggestions, like listen, use good communication skills, and have fun. But there are no epiphanies that make this book great. Instead it is a mix of obvious advice, cliches, stories, and bragging about how awesome his companies are.
Some leadership books are well-thought-out and well-researched...and some are like this book. Branson is a great entrepreneur, but his leadership skills seems to come from intuition and natural ability. And when someone doesn’t have to work at being a good leader, then they can’t really teach it or even talk about it.
This book is full of obvious suggestions, like listen, use good communication skills, and have fun. But there are no epiphanies that make this book great. Instead it is a mix of obvious advice, cliches, stories, and bragging about how awesome his companies are.
Otro gran libro para emprendedores. Lleno de consejos prácticos así como anécdotas divertidas de la vida empresarial de Richard Branson, siempre con un aprendizaje. Sin duda es lectura obligada para todo emprendedor o alguien que está a punto de convertirse en uno. La mayor enseñanza que este libro me dejó es: Emprender es divertirse.