Richard Branson

Richard Branson was overheard making the following comment:

"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."

These words resonate with me and I thought I would share my interpretation of them with you. Perhaps they will inspire you too.

The 2 key elements in the quote are:


1. What must I do to be true to myself and my thoughts?

2. What are the essentials I should be focusing on?

After all the years I have spent working with people, I have come to an understanding of what it means to be true to yourself. There are 3 principles that should permeate your thinking and reflect strongly in your behaviour: honesty, honour and integrity. 'Honesty' is telling the truth, 'honour' is being true to your word (....keeping your promises), and 'integrity' is when your values are reflected in your behaviour. In running your business you should always measure your activities against these 3 principles. In other words, you need to ask yourself, "if I do this, will I be being honest, will I be true to my word and will I be reflecting my values?"

People will want to do business with you if they experience that you are honest, keep your promises and have integrity. So my advice to you is, be unwavering in your honesty even if it means some people won't like you, never make promises you can't keep, and always make sure that you practice what you preach. If you follow this advice people will like you, trust you and want to do business with you.