REAPING THE WHIRLWIND 237Richard Branson, the charismatic chairman of Virgin (see Chapter
11), an empire best known for its highly profi table airline and
Megastore retail chain, is an extremely creative leader with a crea-
tive leadership style (Kets de Vries, 1999 ). His way of running his
empire has been extraordinarily successful. He is not only one of
the richest people in the world but also an international celebrity.
In the United Kingdom, Branson has been hailed as a role model
not only for teenagers but also for their parents. He has been nomi-
nated for many awards for enterprise and been voted the most
popular businessman of the year. As an organizational designer he
is highly unusual. He has no real corporate headquarters (although
he used to use a houseboat on the River Thames in London),
something you would not expect from someone who employs 6,000
people in more than 15 countries. Status and the trappings of power
are not for him.
To Branson, decentralization is a religion. The company ’ s operating
style is characterized by informality, casual dress, a lack of hierarchy, a
comfortable environment, and an absence of conformity. Branson makes
it a point to attract mavericks to his company, a role he plays himself as
his crazier exploits, such as his transatlantic ballooning and powerboat
adventures, illustrate.
In Virgin, lateral communication is the norm. Branson likes the
idea of the boundary - free organization. He encourages people to move
around; he does not want them to become stuck in narrowly defi ned
jobs. He believes in organic growth, not in raiding other businesses for
market share. When someone has a creative idea, he makes sure there
are resources available to him or her to realize it. In that respect he
serves as a project champion, nurturing others to develop ideas and
bring them to fruition.
Basically, in his company Branson is trying to create a community
of people where everyone collaborates and helps each other and at the
same time has fun and excitement. Having fun is a central value of
the corporate culture and as a well - known prankster he often sets the
example. In emphasizing the importance of fun, he is following a simple
school of thought that happy people are more creative and productive.
Whatever Virgin is involved in, he wants the company to be the best,
but not necessarily the biggest. By setting high - performance expecta-
tions, he encourages his people to rise to the challenge. His airline,
Virgin Atlantic, is a good example of this philosophy.
So what can we learn from the Virgin case as far as stimulating
creative management is concerned? It demonstrates that a number of