Top 791 Quotes & Sayings by Richard Branson - Page 3

When exploring London, you will come across lots of excitement by chance, so try to take everything in rather than just rushing around to all of the major tourist haunts.

I love to dance, but my children tell me I shouldn't. Can't see why.

People from all over the world come to London wanting to make their own mark on it, and they add to the energy and vitality of the capital. It's got a bit busier since the '60s, but the more the merrier!

I read everything, but generally more fact than fiction - especially autobiographies and biographies. I've read 'Long Walk to Freedom' by Nelson Mandela at least twice on holiday. Every time, I'm totally awed by his vision, strength and forgiveness. I feel honoured to have got to know him and his wonderful wife Graca over the years.

At Virgin, we have always backed the power of the entrepreneur and inventor to find solutions to tricky problems. Why should climate change and the battle against carbon be any different?

We need every person on Earth to acknowledge that climate change is real and encourage each other and our leaders to address the challenge.

I always love going on a safari drive whenever I visit Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in South Africa. I've been fortunate to see so many incredible animals over the years, and each time, it's completely different. Following Ulusaba's pack of wild dogs is my highlight.

Especially when you're at a high level in an organization, criticism can be devastating to an employee. I prefer to praise employees for what they're doing right, and it tends to lead to them doing more of the same. Not always, but it's the way I choose to bet.

I'm not sure how I'd survive without English Breakfast tea. Even in the Caribbean, I must drink 20 cups a day.

As a teenager, I went to Bali a lot, but it's a long, long way from England. Which is why, when we bought Necker Island, we made it like a mini Bali.

I love travelling full stop - so while I've had some harrowing instances, I never look at them negatively. Memories are made when you're travelling - not when you're chained to your desk.

Devon holds a special place in my heart. As a child, I normally went on holiday to Bantham and have lots of happy memories from my time there. I used to catch sand eels in the early morning and go fishing for bass throughout the day. I remember a gull taking my bait.

My early business ventures included growing Christmas trees and breeding birds.

More businesses should be following Apple's stance in encouraging more investment in sustainability.

What is a business? It's simply an idea that makes someone else's life better

The best advice I could give anyone is to spend your time working on whatever you are passionate about in life.

The best way of learning about anything is by doing.

Just start. You will learn so many lessons just by doing.

As a leader of people, you have to be a great listener, a great motivator, be very good at praising and bringing out the best in people.

If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes-then learn how to do it later!

Don't bother doing something unless you're radically different from the competition.

A good leader leads from the front. Don't get stuck in the office. Get out, meet people and listen to their stories.

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.

Brave people don't live forever, but cautious people don't live at all.

Give your employees a mission that matches their ambitions. When you challenge people, they surprise you.

I believe a good leader brings out the best in people by listening to them, trusting in them, believing in them, respecting them and letting them have a go.

I'm sure you get the best out of people if you look for the best in them. People don't need to be told when they've done something wrong - they know it without having to be told.

Life is a helluva lot more fun if you say yes rather than no

Successful entrepreneurs don't wait for the perfect moment - they create it

Please don’t get hung up on this question of whether you need to have experience in an industry before you launch your startup.

If you aim higher than you expect, you could reach higher than you dreamed.

If you don't have time for the small things, you won't have time for the big things

Have faith in yourself. Think yes not no. Live life to the full. Never give up.

There is no point in going into a business unless you can make a radical difference in other people’s lives.

Your employees are your company’s real competitive advantage. They’re the ones making the magic happen-so long as their needs are being met.

Success cannot be measured in wealth, fame or power, but by whether you have made a positive difference for others.

If you look after your staff, they'll look after your customers. It's that simple.

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.

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to keep things simple.

If you take care of your workers they'll take care of your business.

There is so much to be learned from listening to people's hopes, frustrations, and points of view

Never take your eyes off the cash flow because it's the life blood of business.

Always think, 'what's the worst that can happen' and have some kind of strategy to deal with it

The best lessons are usually learned from failure. You musn't beat yourself up if you fail - just pick yourself up, learn as much as you can from the experience and get on with the next challenge...The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never live at all.

Play fair, be prepared for others to play dirty, and don't let them drag you into the mud.

Starting a business is a huge amount of hard work... You had better enjoy it.

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.

Unless you dream, nothing will happen. If you dream, you might be able to make your dreams come true.

If people aren't calling you crazy, you aren't thinking big enough.

Listen more than you talk. Nobody learned anything by hearing themselves speak.

Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change.

It's all about finding and hiring people smarter than you. Getting them to join your business. And giving them good work. Then getting out of their way. And trusting them. You have to get out of the way so YOU can focus on the bigger vision. That's important. And here's the main thing....you must make them see their work as a MISSION.

Follow your instincts and live with the consequences.

Please be polite. Nothing in life should erode the habit of saying thank you to people or praising them.

The amount of time people waste dwelling on failures rather than putting that energy into another project, always amazes me

Most skills can be learned, but it is difficult to train people on their personality.

Confidence breeds confidence and negativity breeds negativity. Treat those around you with respect and dignity and they will thrive.

Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to.

Colleagues should take care of each other, have fun, celebrate success, learn by failure, look for reasons to praise not to criticize, communicate freely and respect each other.

If you look for the best in your employees, they'll flourish. If you criticize or look for the worst, they'll shrivel up. We all need lots of watering.