Business stripped bare by Richard Branson, published by Virgin Books

This is a difficult shift for Branson, from writing his biography - ‘Losing my Virginity’ - to setting himself up as a guru who can help others to achieve the same sort of success, following the path of other high profile businessmen like Jack Welch and Lee Iacocca. This is a particularly difficult transition for Branson as he is such a ‘one-off’; someone to be admired rather than copied, as I used to say in my sessions on business success in years gone by. I am embarrassed that I also used to predict that Branson would never achieve lasting success because of his lack of strategic logic and focus on core competences. My excuse now is that he really is a ‘one-off’ individual who has been able to create a unique brand on the strength of his personality and charisma.

The book benefits from a simple chapter structure - people, brand, delivery, innovation, learning, leadership -and the advice is a mixture of common sense and business acumen, what you would expect from someone with his track record. From anyone else it might seem like motherhood and apple pie (particularly as he produces Kipling’s poem ‘If’ as a finale) but, because it is Branson and because it is laced with relevant examples and anecdotes, it comes over well. He has the great advantage of many friends and acquaintances who have also achieved success and his close relationship with them provides both credibility and insight.

Examples of his advice are:

• People – give them freedom to develop
• Brand – promises must match delivery (shame about Virgin Rail!)
• Delivery – attention to the details that customers value
• Innovation – capitalise on luck and go where ideas lead you
• Entrepreneurship – must be continued when you become big

The final chapter on social responsibility is the least convincing; his message is – make a difference where you can. He does not address the question of how going into the airline business makes the right kind of difference but perhaps this is expecting too much!

Overall this book is impressive but mainly because it is Branson. Like most of his businesses!!