Early Career and Mophie
The difference between management and leadership is that management entails the activities of an organization such as planning, organization and controlling. However, leadership deals with success of the employees through investing in tasks and projects that promotes interest of the employers (SimpleLearning, 2016). A leader doesn’t exercise authoritative figure but demonstrates his personality and behavior in a way that wins the passion of the employers (Landis, Eric , Deborah , & Maurice , 2014). Branson is both a leader and a manager. He focusses and motivates his employers and customers by inviting them to take part in business events such as illuminator projects. He shares what of his business stands for and enables customers to give their ideas on new products and marketing strategies. Engaging customers and employers in business makes a democratic leader. In addition, Branson is good manager who is not afraid to take risks. He is confident in his business and prepared to live with the consequences of his decisions.
Branson has a wide leadership styles which enable him to manage different situations accordingly. Firstly, Branson is fast and is able to adopt changes promptly. For instance, he achieved new products within three days in his community-based project, illuminator project. In addition, Branson is creative and adventurous. He developed the new idea of lanyard integrated with headphones so as to be used with iPod accessories. He is also opportunists with great visions. Andres Arango reports that Branson is man with weird charisma and visions. Branson is hard negotiator and warm friendly who win his employees and customers trust. Arango and Wadsworth joined the company after learning that Branson’s project was revolutionary as to help him coordinate the project activities. Similarly, he feels his customers through engaging the project to share their ideas. These attributes of Branson are in accordance with the traits, virtues and strengths of a good leader. (Green Bill, 2018). However, despite the Branson’s leadership strengths, he also has a weakness. Branson has poor communication skills. This limits Branson on giving out the best instructions to his followers. Good communication skills are vital for a business in order to thrive. It helps in meeting deadlines and exceeding goals of an organization. For instance, good communicating helps in satisfying employers and thereby increasing their morale for work.
Contingency theory illustrates the relationship between achievements of a situation and the steps followed. It categorized into Path-Goal theory, situational theory, Fiedler’s contingency theory and decision making theory (Vroom-Jago contingency model). I would recommend Branson to use is a Decision- making theory in achieving his goal. The theory focusses of assessing the situation and identifying what the situation requires for it to be solved (Bisk Education, 2018). This includes the support that the followers need to tackle the situation. For instance, providing them with the information and that are resources that fits the situation. Decision making theory does not depend on the best ways of achieving goals but depends on making decisions that fits specific contexts (Martin, 2014). The use of decision making theory leads an organization towards achieving its goal in a more democratic way without exerting any kind of reinforcement to the team (Virkus Virje, 2009). Therefore, Branson should use this model since it creates team work and team work in a friendly and excited way through understanding the situation. The model achieve the right goals of an organization through inspiring and motivation the followers by providing the right support (Schmitt, Antje, Deanne , & Frank , 2016). Branson can increase the efficiency of the model through innovation of more events that engage customers and employers views while making decisions of the organization. This will create a strong team work by meeting the followers’ needs through appropriate support they require and also by creating new team (EDUCBA, 2018). As a result, team satisfaction will be achieved and therefore productivity of the company increases.
The Illuminator Project and Batna
Transformational leaders are leaders who are oriented in people while transactional leaders are performance-oriented (Aarons, 2006). Basically, transactional leaders reinforce the performance of the company through monitoring the employers using rewards and punishments. Contrarily, Transformational leaders achieve this through motivating and inspiring employees using charisma and visions (J, Nikolaos , & Lisa , 2018). Branson is a transformational leader who has achieved the success of the company through influence by ideas, inspirational motivations and consideration of individuals. He proves his followers that everything is possible through his passion and risk taking styles in his business. Branson has been a role model to his followers who always praise him. He is a charismatic and visionary leader who follows his dreams. Branson take care of customers’ feelings through innovations such as illuminator project that consider customers and employers. Generally, Branson style of leadership of achieving success of the company is more friendly and flexible. He has improved the transactional styles in different ways that has led to transformational styles.
Conclusion
Good leadership theories are fundamental to the success of the organizations. A leader should wisely choose on the right model that will lead the organization towards the right goals. Benson uses transformational and democratic leadership models in achieving the success of his company. He is a charismatic and visionary leader uses idealized influence, motivations and considerations to improve his performance. He involves his team in innovations through creativity sharing among his customers and employers. He is also opportunistic and risk taker leader who is ready for consequences of his decisions. Being person- oriented rather than performance oriented has created a strong relationship between Branson and his team. I will therefore encourage Brandon to continue using his model of leadership so as to achieve more productivity of his company. The model is effective and brings success of a company in happy and enthusiastic way. It does not include reinforcement to employers.
References
Aarons, G. A. (2006). Transformational and transactional leadership: Association with attitudes toward evidence-based practice. Psychiatric services , 1162-1169.
Bisk Education. (2018). Leadership and The Contingency Theory. Retrieved from Villanova University: https://www.villanovau.com/resources/leadership/leadership-and-contingency-theory/#.W7T54HszbIU
EDUCBA. (2018). Important Leadership Models Which Will Make You A Successful Leader. Retrieved from EDUCBA: https://www.educba.com/important-leadership-models/
Green Bill. (2018). You’re an Effective Business Leader If You Have These 8 Traits. Retrieved from Manuseto Ventures: https://www.inc.com/maureen-kline/why-california-is-right-to-require-boards-to-include-women.html
J, T. B., Nikolaos , D., & Lisa , S. (2018). Examining Follower Responses to Transformational Leadership from a Dynamic, Person–Environment Fit Perspective. Academy of Management Journal,, 1343-1368.
Landis, Eric , A., Deborah , H., & Maurice , H. R. (2014). A synthesis of leadership theories and styles. Journal of Management Policy and Practice,, 97.
Martin, C. (2014). An integrative theory of leadership. . Psychology Press.
Schmitt, Antje, Deanne , D. N., & Frank , D. (2016). Transformational leadership and proactive work behaviour: A moderated mediation model including work engagement and job strain. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology,, 588-610.
SimpleLearning. (2016). What’s the Difference Between Leadership and Management? Retrieved from SimpleLearning: https://www.simplilearn.com/leadership-vs-management-difference-article
Virkus Virje. (2009). Leadership Models: Contingency Theory. Retrieved from Tallinn University: https://www.tlu.ee/~sirvir/IKM/Leadership%20Models/contingency_theory.html