To me, business isn't about wearing suits or pleasing stockholders. It's about being true to yourself, your ideas and focusing on the essentials.
Learning and leadership go together. Too much credit goes to me for what we have achieved at Virgin but the successes happen from working and learning with some of the world’s most inspiring and inspired people.
If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple.
Play fair, be prepared for others to play dirty, and don’t let them drag you into the mud.
I am convinced that companies should put staff first, customers second and shareholders third – ultimately that’s in the best interest of customers and shareholders.
If you go back into military history, the person who’s leading the troops ought to be in with the troops and not just standing on the backline sending them into battle.
You know I think if the people who work for a business are proud of the business they work for, they’ll work that much harder, and therefore, I think turning your business into a real force for good is good business sense as well.
I love stirring the pot. I love giving big companies a run for their money – especially if they’re offering expensive, poor-quality products.
I think it’s quite great to set yourself a big challenge and then you’ve got another reason for keeping fit.
Listen more than you talk. Nobody learned anything by hearing themselves speak.
Most skills can be learned, but it is difficult to train people on their personality.
Commitment is not letting people down. That’s very important in life. If you say you’re going to do something, make sure you do it. Just try never to let people down.
Please don’t get hung up on this question of whether you need to have experience in an industry before you launch your startup.
Your brand name is only as good as your reputation.
Education doesn’t just take place in stuffy classrooms and university buildings, it can happen everywhere, every day to every person.
There is no point in going into a business unless you can make a radical difference in other people’s lives.
If you don’t have time for the small things, you won’t have time for the big things.
Learn to look after your staff first and the rest will follow.
When you are making a decision about how best to serve your customers, your own experience is often a better guide than a more sophisticated analysis of the market.
I may be a businessman in that I set up and run companies for profit, but when I try to plan ahead and dream up new products and new companies, I’m an idealist.