SIR RICHARD BRANSON QUOTES
Top 10 Richard Branson Quotes About Business, Success &
Life Inspirational entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Records, Virgin
Atlantic Airways, Virgin Galactic, and over 400 other Virgin-branded
enterprises has been successful in business since age 16. Because of this, his
improvisatory phrases are oft-quoted in money and lifestyle publications much
to the delight of those tired of hearing billionaires give standard answers to
standard questions.
Branson’s absolute love of life is apparent in the way he
runs his businesses and is in large part responsible for his success. From what
I consider his top ten quotes, perhaps you can be inspired to implement some
zest into your own business and personal life.
Famous Quotes by Sir Richard Branson
1. “A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it
has to exercise your creative instincts.”
Plain and simple, if
you don’t enjoy what you are doing, you are going to have a hard time doing it
well and being successful. Sure, you can head to work and sit at a desk job all
day that you don’t really like, but will you ever own the business itself or be
in control of day-to-day decisions? Probably not. Branson is so successful not
just because he works hard and is lucky, but because he has fun and enjoys his
work.
2. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by
doing, and by falling over.”
If everyone only
followed a single set of rules, nothing new would ever be implemented. For
example, Google changed the online search game by thinking differently about
how it could be done. Jeffrey Hollender started Seventh Generation, which
helped bring environmentally friendly household products to the masses when
they were previously only for true “greenies.”
If you stick to the status quo and don’t look outside the
norm for inspiration, you limit yourself as an individual and in your business.
Doing something different than the way it was done in the past can be a
catalyst for success. And don’t let failure discourage you – it’s bound to
happen when you’re trying and perfecting ingenuity.
3. “Ridiculous yachts, private planes, and big limousines won’t make people enjoy life more, and it sends out terrible messages to the people who work for them. It would be so much better if that money was spent in Africa – and it’s about getting a balance.”
Branson enjoys his
money for sure, and he should – he earned it after all. But he also realizes
that it’s not necessarily the money that is making him happy; it’s a
combination of attitude, experience, and the responsible use of money. To have
wealth and only flaunt it doesn’t lead to bliss, contrary to what those without
it often think
.4. “As much as you need a strong personality to build a business from scratch, you also must understand the art of delegation. I have to be good at helping people run the individual businesses, and I have to be willing to step back. The company must be set up so it can continue without me.”
.4. “As much as you need a strong personality to build a business from scratch, you also must understand the art of delegation. I have to be good at helping people run the individual businesses, and I have to be willing to step back. The company must be set up so it can continue without me.”
Success on Branson’s
level doesn’t come solely from his own work ethic. He hires the right people
and then lets them do their thing. Try seeing the company or business you are
in as bigger than yourself and trust that other people are concerned about the
bottom line as you are. When everyone works together towards the same goal, the
payoff in the end can be greater for all.
5. “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always
another one coming.”
If you close yourself
off to new opportunities out of ignorance or fear, you might miss your next big
idea or concept. When one project you start doesn’t work out, guess what –
there are always plenty more to try. So get cracking!
6. “My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself.
I see life almost like one long university education that I never had – every
day I’m learning something new.”
When you aren’t
learning, you aren’t growing. And without growth, it’s hard to succeed in the
long-term. Branson keeps trying something new; some projects fail and some go
on to be huge achievements. Who knew that in 2011 we would see the beginning of
space flight for tourists through Virgin Galactic?
7. “What does the name Virgin mean? We are a company that
likes to take on the giants. In too many businesses, these giants have had
things their own way. We are going to have fun competing with them.”
By competing with the
existing players in any given field, Branson is trying to change the way
companies do business. Tired industries get used to doing things their way and
regularly fail to improvise, innovate, and challenge themselves to do better.
Branson competes with these businesses by offering consumers innovation and
improvement – and he is succeeding in getting them to pay for it.
8. “To be successful, you have to be out there, you have to
hit the ground running, and if you have a good team around you and more than a
fair share of luck, you might make something happen. But you certainly can’t
guarantee it just by following someone else’s formula.”
Forge your own path,
as they say, and keep pushing until you get to your end goal. Imagine if Bill
Gates didn’t want to push computers into the mainstream, but instead just
wanted to build mainframe closet-sized machines for the government to use? We
would have gotten the laptop computer eventually, but it may have taken a lot
longer. Rare is the person who creates something huge by following in someone
else’s footsteps; Branson most certainly did not.
9. “Above all, you want to create something you are proud
of. That’s always been my philosophy of business. I can honestly say that I
have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole
motive, then I believe you are better off doing nothing.”
Again, we see that
money cannot (and should not) be the exclusive catalyst for entering into any
business or field of endeavor. At my last corporate job, I made a lot of money.
But it was causing me undue health issues and stress, and I wasn’t at all happy
there. While the money is nowhere near as good now, I am much happier being
self-employed doing something I enjoy everyday. Plus, I am proud of what I am
doing.
10. “I am prepared to try anything once.”
How else can you know
if something will or will not work? I really love this simple quote and I try
to keep it in mind every single day. After all, what have you got to lose?
Final Word
There are many inspiring quotes from Richard Branson, of
which these are just a few. They may be hard to remember word for word on a daily
basis, but sometimes just reading them is enough to plant a seed or two of
thought-provoking inspiration. I know Branson’s attitude towards life energizes
me.
Who do you look to for inspiration either at work or at
home? What are some of your favorite quotes?