When I was young, every time I criticized someone, my mother would stand me in front of the mirror and say: ‘The flaws you see in others are actually a reflection of yourself.’ That taught me to pay close attention when I looked at others.
If a chairman of a company visits Seattle, that chairman should take all the staff out in the evening and have a few drinks together, talk together and party together and not be embarrassed about the staff seeing the weaker side of you.
It is important to remember that life is not a dress rehearsal and that none of us should waste our time on doing things that don’t spark fires within us. My golden rule for business and life is: We should all enjoy what we do and do what we enjoy.
Any successful entrepreneur knows that time is more valuable than money itself.
There is no point in starting your own business unless you do it out of a sense of frustration.
If you’re looking to become an entrepreneur then don’t waste your time going to university or business school – just get on and do it.
All you have in life is your reputation: you may be very rich, but if you lose your good name, then you’ll never be happy. The thought will always lurk at the back of your mind that people don’t trust you.
Remember it’s OK to be yourself.
Take a chance – it’s the best way to test yourself, have fun and push boundaries.
If you’re bringing up kids, you just want to smother them with love and praise and enthusiasm. So I don’t think you can mollycoddle your kids too much really.
Be the best at what you do.
Through the right people focusing on the right things, we can, in time, get on top of a lot if not most of the problems of this world. And that’s what a number of us are trying to do.
We, we – as I say, we go in and shake up other industries and I think, you know, we do it differently and I think that industries are not quite the same as a result of Virgin attacking the market.
Screw the competition – focus on good customer service.
It isn’t effective or productive to force your employees to do anything. Choice empowers people and makes for a more content workforce.
The important thing is that you’ve got a strong foundation before you start to try to save the world or help other people.
Well, the odds must be against anybody being able to fly around the world in a balloon on the first attempt. All of us who are attempting to go around the world in balloons are effectively flying in experimental craft because these craft cannot be tested.
People have to decide on priorities if they want to get anywhere. The best lessons I learned was to just do it.
The companies that look after their people are the companies that do really well. I’m sure we’d like a few other attributes, but that would be the most important one.
Life can seem rather unreal at times. Alive and well and loving one day. No longer there the next.