In the latest edition of ‘Ask Richard’ on LinkedIn, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, who was recently in news for flying to the edge of space, explained how to set aside those niggling doubts while chasing a dream.
The business magnate reaffirmed that failures are indeed the pillars of success. He wrote in the article: “What I’ve learnt throughout my life is that every success is built upon a thousand failures (or ‘opportunities to learn’, as I like to think of them). Whenever doubt creeps in, I remind myself that dreams aren’t linear. I also think of all the brilliant innovations and discoveries that would have come to nothing if their inventors had given in to their doubts. I’m sure everyone from Thomas Edison to Gertrude Stein doubted their dreams from time-to-time, but the difference is they didn’t let it knock them off-course.”
He suggested that one good way of eliminating self-doubt was to discuss the idea with friends and colleagues. “It’s always a good idea to discuss any doubt you have with colleagues and friends, and to really listen to their feedback. If you feel more confident after these conversations, take a ‘screw it, let do it’ attitude and push your doubts to the side.”
Richard, who flew to space in his Virgin Galactic rocket plane, had his share of failures while building his business empire. His Virgin Airlines was once neck-deep in debt and he had to bail it out by raising money from contacts. His Virgin Cola, launched to compete with Coca Cola, tanked in the market. Two other offerings from the Virgin group – Virgin Brides and Virgin Cars – turned out to be duds, too.
In the article, the author shares: “The day after we launched Virgin Atlantic, the bank manager came to my house and threatened to shut us down. I managed to get him out of the door and brought my team together to find a solution. It was a very sweaty moment, but I didn’t let doubt creep in and we quickly fixed the issue.”
Like a true-blue Englishman, the business giant knows the power of a cup of tea. He writes: “If things really start to get you down, my advice would be to step outside, get some fresh air, and have a cup of tea. Whenever doubt starts to get the better of me, I find exercise really helps. I’ll get on my bike, play some tennis or have some downtime with my family. This is often when my best ideas come to me as well!”
‘Ask Richard’ is a LinkedIn newsletter in which the billionaire answers questions asked by his readers.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here