Richard Branson recently was asked how much it helps him to be famous. The founder and owner of The Virgin Group - an empire of 350 companies that includes Virgin Atlantic airlines as well as ventures in telecommunications, trains, cosmetics, credit cards and several other industries - replied: "It helps to be a global personality. When you can pick up the phone and call the President of Nigeria, it cuts a lot of corners. You can get things done that you couldn't otherwise." Fame has its disadvantages, though. For example, during a trip to New Zealand, Branson was once approached by a male admirer who told him, "Richard, I love you. I wish you were gay - and that I were gay too!"
That quirky interchange occurred on November 30 during a satellite telecast with Branson organized by Linkage, a Massachusetts-based organizational development firm, in collaboration with WHYY, a public television broadcaster in Philadelphia, as well as Wharton School Publishing and Knowledge@Wharton. Over 90 minutes, participants quizzed Branson on a wide range of topics from leadership to entrepreneurship to branding. Branson, who was visibly jet-lagged from a trip to India, was still articulate and good humored as he answered questions posed by phone, fax and email by participants around the world.
Branson's approach to building the Virgin brand figured several times during the discussion, particularly since he said his goal is to turn Virgin into "the most respected brand in the world." Branson's prowess in this regard also is responsible for his inclusion among the 25 most influential business leaders of the past 25 years, as listed in the recent book, Lasting Leadership, co-authored by Nightly Business Report and Knowledge@Wharton. The book notes that Branson's skill as a brand builder, a quality he shares with Oprah Winfrey and Lee Iacocca, is one of the reasons underlying his longevity as a business leader.
It is difficult to separate the success of the Virgin brand from the flamboyant man behind that brand.
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