Richard Branson | The Nightly On Leadership

High-flyer Richard Branson says not everything goes to plan, and he’s learnt a lot from that.

WORDS | JAY HANNA
PHOTOGRAPHY | SIMON DAWSON

Failure is not a word most people would associate with entrepreneur, philanthropist and adventurer Sir Richard Branson, yet the billionaire Virgin Group founder claims it has been fundamental to his success.

The British businessman, who oversees 40 companies under the Virgin banner, says understanding the “value in failure” has been the biggest lesson he has learnt over his career.

“I have learned and grown far more from the things that didn’t go quite the way I hoped or expected than from those that were great successes,” Branson says.

“As a leader, you have to be willing to take risks and understand that not every venture will succeed. At Virgin, we’ve taken on many bold ventures. Many have soared, but some have failed. Learning to handle setbacks, stay resilient, and keep my team motivated through the tough times has been a constant test.

“But I’ve found that embracing failure as part of the journey and using it to grow has been key to moving forward. What matters most is how you respond. The earlier we learn to embrace failure as a positive rather than a negative, the healthier and happier we’ll be.”

Failure is not a word most people would associate with entrepreneur, philanthropist and adventurer Sir Richard Branson, yet the billionaire Virgin Group founder claims it has been fundamental to his success.

The British businessman, who oversees 40 companies under the Virgin banner, says understanding the “value in failure” has been the biggest lesson he has learnt over his career.

“I have learned and grown far more from the things that didn’t go quite the way I hoped or expected than from those that were great successes,” Branson says.

“As a leader, you have to be willing to take risks and understand that not every venture will succeed. At Virgin, we’ve taken on many bold ventures. Many have soared, but some have failed. Learning to handle setbacks, stay resilient, and keep my team motivated through the tough times has been a constant test.

“But I’ve found that embracing failure as part of the journey and using it to grow has been key to moving forward. What matters most is how you respond. The earlier we learn to embrace failure as a positive rather than a negative, the healthier and happier we’ll be.”

But failure hasn’t always had positive connotations for the outgoing businessman. At school he struggled with reading and writing and, fed up with being labelled stupid or derided for not trying hard enough, he dropped out at age 16.

He later discovered his difficulties were due to being dyslexic, a learning disorder that wasn’t widely recognised or well understood when he was a student.

Now the 74-year-old sees the condition as his “superpower” and the reason he can think outside the box and approach things more creatively. He claims dyslexia also makes him a more empathetic and accessible leader.

“I like to listen,” he says. “I will always rather pick up the phone and chat things through. For me this is the most efficient way to work because of my dyslexia. It means I don’t have to read or write lots of long emails.

“I’ve found that a leader that is listening is also delegating better and bringing out the best in others.”

But failure hasn’t always had positive connotations for the outgoing businessman. At school he struggled with reading and writing and, fed up with being labelled stupid or derided for not trying hard enough, he dropped out at age 16.

He later discovered his difficulties were due to being dyslexic, a learning disorder that wasn’t widely recognised or well understood when he was a student.

Now the 74-year-old sees the condition as his “superpower” and the reason he can think outside the box and approach things more creatively. He claims dyslexia also makes him a more empathetic and accessible leader.

“I like to listen,” he says. “I will always rather pick up the phone and chat things through. For me this is the most efficient way to work because of my dyslexia. It means I don’t have to read or write lots of long emails.

“I’ve found that a leader that is listening is also delegating better and bringing out the best in others.”

^{Advertisement}

^{Advertisement}

The media-friendly billionaire admits he is genuinely interested in people and the world and sees his curiosity as a strength.

“I’m a people person,” he says. “It’s important to me to walk the floors of our businesses, to stay in our hotels and fly on our planes. I like to talk to our employees and our customers and find out their views on what is going well, and where improvements can be made.

“You can learn and refine skills like communication and decision-making, but you learn the most when you’re in the real world, taking risks, making mistakes, and facing challenges head-on. The best leaders are those who are curious, willing to learn, and not afraid to fail. It’s about developing the right mindset, and that comes with time and experience.”

The media-friendly billionaire admits he is genuinely interested in people and the world and sees his curiosity as a strength.

“I’m a people person,” he says. “It’s important to me to walk the floors of our businesses, to stay in our hotels and fly on our planes. I like to talk to our employees and our customers and find out their views on what is going well, and where improvements can be made.

“You can learn and refine skills like communication and decision-making, but you learn the most when you’re in the real world, taking risks, making mistakes, and facing challenges head-on. The best leaders are those who are curious, willing to learn, and not afraid to fail. It’s about developing the right mindset, and that comes with time and experience.”

But I’ve found that embracing failure as part of the journey and using it to grow has been key to moving forward. What matters most is how you respond. The earlier we learn to embrace failure as a positive rather than a negative, the healthier and happier we’ll be.

- Richard Branson

But I’ve found that embracing failure as part of the journey and using it to grow has been key to moving forward. What matters most is how you respond. The earlier we learn to embrace failure as a positive rather than a negative, the healthier and happier we’ll be.

- Richard Branson

Branson’s sense of adventure has seen him break several world records for hot air balloon, kitesurf and powerboat crossings of the English Channel, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

He also made several unsuccessful attempts to fly around the world by balloon. After founding Virgin Galactic in 2004, Branson ventured into outer space as a passenger on the VSS Unity 22 in 2021.

He says the Apollo moon landing sparked his imagination and sense of adventure.

“I remember watching the Apollo moon landing and, like so many others, I was captivated by the idea of humans exploring beyond our planet,” he says.

“As I grew older, that interest turned into a dream of making space accessible to everyone. I’ve always believed in pushing boundaries and exploring the unknown, and space is the ultimate frontier. That’s what led me to start Virgin Galactic — to give more people the chance to experience the wonder of space.”

Branson’s sense of adventure has seen him break several world records for hot air balloon, kitesurf and powerboat crossings of the English Channel, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

He also made several unsuccessful attempts to fly around the world by balloon. After founding Virgin Galactic in 2004, Branson ventured into outer space as a passenger on the VSS Unity 22 in 2021.

He says the Apollo moon landing sparked his imagination and sense of adventure.

“I remember watching the Apollo moon landing and, like so many others, I was captivated by the idea of humans exploring beyond our planet,” he says.

“As I grew older, that interest turned into a dream of making space accessible to everyone. I’ve always believed in pushing boundaries and exploring the unknown, and space is the ultimate frontier. That’s what led me to start Virgin Galactic — to give more people the chance to experience the wonder of space.”

^{Advertisement}

^{Advertisement}

While Branson has hit pause on commercial space travel for now, he says part of being a good leader is knowing when to make the tough calls and being prepared to change course if necessary.

“In fast-evolving industries, you must embrace innovation and be willing to take risks,” he says. “Most importantly, I believe in being adaptable — don’t be afraid to pivot and keep moving forward.”

He says effective leaders should recognise their own limitations and surround themselves with a reliable team to complement rather than mirror their own strengths.

“I make it a point to surround myself with forward-thinking teams who challenge the status quo and bring fresh perspectives,” he says. “Diverse thinking makes for great teams. I try to see the bigger picture, but I have more practically minded people that I trust to keep me on track. For instance, numbers are not a specialty of mine. I create a team around me that works to my weaknesses.”

While Branson has hit pause on commercial space travel for now, he says part of being a good leader is knowing when to make the tough calls and being prepared to change course if necessary.

“In fast-evolving industries, you must embrace innovation and be willing to take risks,” he says. “Most importantly, I believe in being adaptable — don’t be afraid to pivot and keep moving forward.”

He says effective leaders should recognise their own limitations and surround themselves with a reliable team to complement rather than mirror their own strengths.

“I make it a point to surround myself with forward-thinking teams who challenge the status quo and bring fresh perspectives,” he says. “Diverse thinking makes for great teams. I try to see the bigger picture, but I have more practically minded people that I trust to keep me on track. For instance, numbers are not a specialty of mine. I create a team around me that works to my weaknesses.”

He also thinks learning from and listening to those who have gone before is important.

He credits English entrepreneur Sir Freddie Laker, who championed the “low cost/no frills” airline business model, as being a great mentor in his early years.

He has also been inspired by former South African president Nelson Mandela.

“Nelson Mandela changed the way we think about leadership at a time when faced with the most seemingly insurmountable of challenges,” Branson says.

“He showed that great leadership and meaningful change can be delivered with wisdom, empathy and kindness. His strength was in his compassion, his courage to stand up for what’s right, and his remarkable ability to bring hope to any situation.”

He also thinks learning from and listening to those who have gone before is important.

He credits English entrepreneur Sir Freddie Laker, who championed the “low cost/no frills” airline business model, as being a great mentor in his early years.

He has also been inspired by former South African president Nelson Mandela.

“Nelson Mandela changed the way we think about leadership at a time when faced with the most seemingly insurmountable of challenges,” Branson says.

“He showed that great leadership and meaningful change can be delivered with wisdom, empathy and kindness. His strength was in his compassion, his courage to stand up for what’s right, and his remarkable ability to bring hope to any situation.”

^{Advertisement}

^{Advertisement}

Branson recently partnered with Made by Dyslexia to launch free-to-access dyslexic thinking courses through DyslexicU and he is adamant dyslexic thinkers will prove vital in the age of artificial intelligence.

The bulk of his time is now spent on charity work through Virgin Unite, Virgin Group’s not-for-profit foundation.

“Virgin Unite uses collaborations and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world,” he says.

“We’re challenging unacceptable issues and tackling the world’s biggest challenges such as climate change, human rights, criminal justice reform, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.”

Despite his vast material wealth, Branson says he doesn’t see that as a marker of success and when he leaves this world with no regrets, “none!”, he wants to be remembered as someone who sought to make a difference.

“I measure success by the things I’ve created that make the world a better place,” he says. “It’s about leaving a positive impact on people’s lives and the world around us.”

Branson recently partnered with Made by Dyslexia to launch free-to-access dyslexic thinking courses through DyslexicU and he is adamant dyslexic thinkers will prove vital in the age of artificial intelligence.

The bulk of his time is now spent on charity work through Virgin Unite, Virgin Group’s not-for-profit foundation.

“Virgin Unite uses collaborations and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world,” he says.

“We’re challenging unacceptable issues and tackling the world’s biggest challenges such as climate change, human rights, criminal justice reform, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.”

Despite his vast material wealth, Branson says he doesn’t see that as a marker of success and when he leaves this world with no regrets, “none!”, he wants to be remembered as someone who sought to make a difference.

“I measure success by the things I’ve created that make the world a better place,” he says. “It’s about leaving a positive impact on people’s lives and the world around us.”