1. I would classify Richard Branson as a leader because he has people who follows him.

He
possesses integrity in which people believe in all his undertakings. He has a vision
instead of goals. He knows where he is, where he wants to go and where he wants to
make a path for his staff in the future. He is an inspiration. He inspires his workers to be
all they can by supporting and giving importance to their ideas. He always wants
challenge. He is not afraid of embarking another venture. He is not afraid of challenging
the status quo. He does things differently. And lastly, he has good communication skills.
He keeps his workers informed of the journey of their business.

2. Branson has a good working relationship with his followers. As a leader, he focuses on
people – he focuses on all the possible stakeholders of his business whom he needs to
influence in order to realize his vision. He gives importance to the skills and abilities of
his followers and helps them develop the same. He sees his followers as competent and
he is optimistic about their potential. Moreover, he has people who go beyond following
him. His followers became his fans and fervent promoters, helping him build his
business and achieve his vision.

3. The following are the myths of leadership development which Branson’s success helped
to disprove:
a. Leaders need to know everything.
- Some leaders think they must be smarter and know more than anyone working
for them. But in this case, major part of Branson’s success came from his
employees ideas and skills. He is not afraid of welcoming new ideas from his
employees.
b. Only the boss can lead.
- It’s a common misconception among managers and employees alike that there’s
only one leader per team, department or company. In reality, almost everyone
takes on a leadership role from time to time, stepping up and stepping back as
circumstances change.
c. Management equals leadership.
- The words “leader” and “manager” are used interchangeably in everyday
discussions, but the two functions are distinct. Managers set and enforce rules
and control a group in order to accomplish defined goals. Leaders inspire,
influence and encourage those around them, whether they’ve got a management
title or not. Both roles are necessary. The key is to strike the right balance
between being a manager and a leader. And that is what Brandon did.
d. Great leaders work alone.
- The “lone wolf” theory of leadership—keeping yourself isolated and separated
from “the pack” is ineffective. Effective leaders of today are skillful at evoking
leadership in others. In today’s inclusive work environments, coaching is
considered a core competency of great leadership, just like how Branson did to
his employees.