There are many arguments to support the idea that a leader can make a significant difference to the long term success of an organisation. Leadership influences almost every aspect of business strategy, and the nature of effective leadership varies from business to business. Leadership is a complex concept and the characteristics of effective business leaders have been studied for many years in order to try to find the ideal profile. One of the most popular definitions is that leadership is a quality some people possess that allows them to rule, affect and lead other people. That quality consists of a person’s charisma, power of thought, intellectual potential, organizational talents, and sense of responsibility. There are four classic leadership styles; authoritarian, paternalistic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Factors that affect leadership styles are some of the following: manger’s experience, nature of the business problems, type of organisation, skills and experience of subordinates etc.
Richard Branson, as the ‘face’ of Virgin is a successful and highly influential leader. He has been practically a household name in the U.K. for the past 20 years and is also well respected in the business world. Branson is known for his unique character and leadership styles, one who is not afraid to take risks, and believes that people are the foundation to his company's success. He is definitely a democratic leader. He truly feels that getting other peoples input and listening to what people have to say are a core value to him. However, he is unlikely to make a significant difference to the long term success of Virgin because he is so diversified, with many talented employees who specialise in their respective areas. Virgin is perhaps also less dependent on its leader because it comprises numerous independent businesses. There are many separate decision makers and not just one leader. Another successful business leader is the CEO of Starbucks, Howard