NAME SHAHBAZ AHMAD

REG # 4566-FMS/MBA/S10

CLASS MBA 24 A (1 YEAR)

SUBJECT LEADERSHIP

BUSINESS LEADER RICHARD BRANSON

BOOK SUMMARY SCREW IT LET’S DO IT

BOOK AUTHOR RICHARD BRANSON

SUBMITTED TO MR AWAIS EJAZ

 SCREW IT LET’S DO IT

The beginning is the most important part of any work

Richard Branson has written three books but i intend to write the summary of Screw it
lets do it.

JUST DO IT

 Believe It Can be done

 Have goals
 Live Life to full
 Never Give up
 Prepare well
 Have Faith in yourself
 Help each other
In the beginning of this book, he tells that his staff at virgin calls him with a particular
name that is Dr Yes. Because I don’t say no to do the thing, I find reasons to do the
things. He says I really appreciate my staff ideas and motivate them just to do it. And
tells them that if you will succeed in your idea, virgin will succeed and that’s the way
we all benefit.

He says that I don’t afraid from any new idea because I don’t believe at words “ i can’t”
because I believe i can do it and how can I say that I can’t do it even I didn’t try it . He
says set your goals and then try to achieve your goals. It is not a bad thing to have a
dream, but you must be practical about it. You can achieve your goals if you will work
hard. If you don’t have right experience that how to reach goals, then looks for another
way to get in. He says once you have set your goals and have taken first step then never
sees behind, because the ways to reach the goals will come, you just have to take the
first step. He says journey of miles starts with just one step. If you will think about the
danger and fear, you will not be able to take the first step. Don’t think about perilous
situation; just take a one step to achieve your set goals, all the ways would appear to
reach your destination. For example if your goal is to become a Fashion designer then it
is not the necessity that you must be a professional degree holder to become a fashion
designer. You can become the fashion designer without going to school. You just go and
join the any fashion designing company and push the broom. Just keep your eyes open
look and learn, after a years of experience you will be fashion designer. He tells that,
never be afraid of a new idea or of something that is never done before just do it. He
supported it by the example of his mother who flied planes in war and also taught
young pilots by changing her appearance in the days when women were not allowed to
fly. He says that after the war ended, mum thought about the job of hostess, he went in
company but she came to know that hostess must be able to speak Spanish and must be
nurse. She was not able to speak Spanish and was not a nurse. She just put her name in
the hostess list secretly and became hostess. She just uses her wits to accomplish her
goal.
He also gave examples from his life and told never stop trying one day you will
succeed. He says my granddad cousin goal was to become a first man to South Pole.
People said he couldn’t do it but he said I can do it and he nearly did it. He reached the
South Pole but was second, another person reached first. He died on the return journey.
When people said that there are no prizes for being second, it think of him that he was
the first person who made the first balloon flight to Antarctica but people don’t
remember that.
He says I was not good in math, in fact in study. But when I came in business I was
good in math. He tells that he had left the study in the age of sixteen to concentrate on
his Magazine which he had started in the age of fifteen. He says people were there to
discourage me that I had no experience and I could not run it, but I set my goal and set
my mind that I can do and I did. When I took first step to start my business mum gave
me four pound for stamps and then I formulated the cost of print and paper and also
worked out the income that would be generated from sales and selling advertising
space. He says I was doing a good math now. Me and my friend Jonny spent two years
writing hundreds of letter to sell space and tried to get interviews from the famous
persons for the publicity of magazine. And it was more fun for me to write these letters
rather than writing the lessons of Latin at school. We never stop writing letter and never
got decrement in the hope. And finally we got the first cheque for advertising space of
250 pound, a huge amount. And I got the some first rate interviews with famous people.
And shortly famous people started to visit us casually for interviews. We were working
hard and also were enjoying a lot. He says we expanded our business and became the
first people to sell cut-price (selling below standard price) record by mail order. But
when strike held by the postal stopped us by sending the records to our customers, we
realized that our customer could become dissatisfied, so we search for another way.
Soon we found a free space to open our record shop at shoe maker shop. And we
worked hard to promote our opening. And soon we had stores in almost big town and
still I was under twenty.

HAVE FUN

 Have Fun, Work Hard and Money will come

 Don’t waste Time and Grab Your Chances
 Have a positive Outlook on life
 When its not fun, Move on

He says do that work which you really enjoy. Do the work in which you get fun because
have fun the money will come. He says money is not everything to achieve the things,
means it is not that thing which creates fun. And I don’t deny that money is not
important. Because we need money for live. But for me I believe have fun the money
will come and for me it works. I have had also ups and downs in my life. But I started
the business not for the money only but also for the fun because I really enjoy doing the
business. I set the goals and work hard to achieve it and after achieving the goals, I
don’t sit quite, I search for another thing because I have fun doing these things. He tells
that how he got money having fun. He asks question whether you will find something
on sunny beach. Then says I found my virgin airline and virgin music contracts. He
says when our virgin music was going good and pouring the money. I got a break and
went for holidays. Once I was sitting on the beach at Jamaica and hearing the some new
Jamaica band. The ideas came in my mind that i should offer these bands to do some
work with me. I offered them and they accepted. And we created a very money
generating album. And in the meanwhile, I got a phone of my girlfriend; we had a split
up before. He asked me to come and let’s have a fun together. We planned lets go at
island because I have heard that someone is giving a free tour to the person who are
interested to buy the land at that particular island. So I phoned that particular company
that I owned a music company and I am interested to buy land for my house at that
particular island. I and john went there. They had treated us like a royal family. We had
a lot of fun there. When we were moved at a very beautiful place called Necter, I fall in
love with that place and asked for its sale price. The agent told three million pound, our
intention was not to buy the place, we were there for just fun, but that place was very
beautiful, so I offered two hundred thousand pound. But the agent said three million
pound is the price. We had thrown out. But I set my goal to purchase it. And then we
have made the plan to travel onto the other island. But when we reached, the flight was
taken off. People were roaming about, looking lost. No one was doing something, so I
did, and someone had to. I chartered (take something at lease) a plane for two thousand
pound. I divided that money by the number of people and thirty nine pound came a
head. I borrowed and wrote on the black board, Virgin Airlines, thirty nine pound a
single flight to that particular island.

I saw and grabbed the chance and look at virgin Atlantic today, we fly to thirty places
around the world.

BE BOLD

 Calculate the risk and take them

 Believe in yourself
 Chase your dream and goal
 Have no regret
 Be bold
 Keep your word

He says that I had made a famous TV show the rebel billionaire at that place where I
and Joan had gone for fun. The Place name was Necter where I had offered negotiated
with agent. How I bought it is really interesting. After I had set my goal to buy place
there, I started to search for owner. I came up with information that the owner is in
need of money and wanted to sell that place for two thousand pound. I gathered the
money from taking bank loan and from my family and friends and purchased it. And
the important thing here is I never give up myself, I tried to accomplish my goals and
also made there a successful TV show. The lesson is to be bold and never give up. I
calculate my risks and then take the decisions. After the successful TV show, I offered a
hero of that show to take a cheque of one million or toss a coin I will give you another
chance to be a hero in my other show and also some money. Now he had to decided,
which to choose. And he had chosen right, a million and used this money to support his
business. I always appreciate these kinds of different people who don’t gamble. And I
also given him the chance to became the CEF of virgin for three months who have 200
different companies, and he would learn more.

And the inception of virgin Atlantic is also very interested. Different people send me
the ideas. My staff looks at the ideas and selects the most important and interesting. A
man asked us to start the airline. I was in this idea after the chartered of plane. But I
think it will ask enough money. I looked at my virgin music, it was creating enough
cash, less than thirty percent of virgin music profit will be enough to start virgin airline.
I calculated my risk and I said just do it. I discuss it with my parent. They said you are
crazy because for them business is serious and for me it is fun. I asked Freddie for lunch
who was my childhood hero, had run a skyline (airways) company at a cut-prices. But
now was out of business. He told me the ideas to start a new airline. And told me the
how he was out from this business by his competitor British air line. He told British air
line used dirty trick to ruin me, but I didn’t complaint. So you would have complained
when it will use with use. America line said that I will not remain in this business more
than a year. But they are out of business, and I am still here.

I am risk taker but not foolish. The next greater venture I did was the virgin trains. I got
this idea when I was in Japan; I was seeing the sites to open my store. I saw bullet train,
which was like a plane. I thought why these kinds of train cannot be in UK. I set my
mind to open the Bullet trains in UK. When I came in UK, I listened that government is
saying that we are to going to break the old track and for moving new. I grab the
opportunity and gave them the idea of bullet train and tell them I am interested for
investment, so I did, and made virgin train.

Sometime you will win and sometimes you will lose. Be glad after success but don’t
have regret after loss. Never look back. You cannot change the past. I try to learn from
it. Whatever your dream is go for it. Always beware if the risks are too random or too
hard to predict, but remember, if you will go for a safer life, you will never know what
it’s like to win.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF

 Aim High
 Try New things
 Always Try
 Challenge yourself
The author says every one need to aim for. We can call it goal or challenge. These are
the Goals and challenges that changed human life. If you will challenge yourself, you
will grow, because you will get the habits of reaching your goals.it not always easy to
reach your goals, but there is also no reason to stop, so always say yourself that I can do
it and keep going on chasing it until you done it.

Richard says I have two types of challenges, one is to do my best at work and the other
is to take adventure. He says I love the challenges to explore new ideas because I am
driven, so I love to try something new.

The author always tried to accept challenges whenever possible, he accepted one of his
first challenges when he was just six years old he was supposed to learn swimming in a
limited number of days while he was at his aunt’s house. He tried very hard but was
unable to learn in the end he was not able to swim but while he was on his way back
home he convinced his parents to stop at the river on the way and gave it a last try
though it was dangerous but there he learnt and was successful to win the challenge.
He is known for accepting a challenge of crossing the Pacific Ocean on an air balloon in
1990. It was done on mortal risk but he couldn’t resist the thrill. No one had ever done it
before but it was worth the risk.

He says for me reading and writing was very hard at school. But something made me to
become a reporter. I was caned for failure in school. Once I got participation in essay
writing contest in school and I was first. I don’t know how, but what I learnt was to
make effort to chase your challenge and then I started to win the essay contest to start
my student magazine.
Richard says beating the records and accepting challenges also helps me to branch out
my business also. For example he is planning now to open a virgin galactic, which will
travel in the space. And how this idea came in His mind is also very interesting. Idea
came from one of his adventure when Richard and his friend per went to beat the
record at hot-air balloon to cross the pacific ocean from japan to America. The journey
was much perilous. They saw very themselves very hopeless, when they came down to
put the wastage fuel and their two more tanks also fall with them. And they had lost the
radio contact. When they got the radio contact, they listened that the war between the
America and Baghdad had exploded. And there were also very much trouble in the
space for them like after crossing the 44000 feet they could have lost their eyes. But he
says we did it and we safely land in the Canada Lake which 200 times greater than the
Brazilian lake. We did it because we never give up. And I also found the idea to launch
the virgin galactic in which we will offer the space travelling.

STAND ON YOUR OWN FEET

 Rely on Yourself
 Chase your Dreams but Live in the Real World
 Work Together
You have to do the work yourself no one will come to do the work for you and take
your burden. Richard explained so by giving an example given to him by his mother “if
you want milk, don’t sit on a stool in the middle of the field in the hope that the cow
will back up you”.
Richard says that I have had learnt a lot from my mum. I was taught to do thing on my
own, to think for myself and get things done and they have made me stand on my own
feet. I learnt about the business and money from mum. Mum wanted us to rely on
ourselves. My lesson started from my toddler stage. Once mum stopped the car and
said me to find a way to our home across the field on myself. And the one I also enjoyed
a lot as game. As I grew older mum started to give me the more difficult task. Some
people might think that it is harsh but it was not harsh it was like a fun, mum was
doing for us to make us think strong. Mum didn’t teach us to win all the time. She
taught us that this is world, you can struggle to win. We are like a close-knit.
When I born, Dad had just started the practice and money was tight. Mum didn’t moan.
Mum task was to find some task for us and to make money. Because being idle was not
allowed. Mum discussed with us about business at night. They were taking us on-board
that’s why they were sharing us the problems. And I think parent who don’t share their
problems with the kids, their kids become unable to understand the importance of
money. My sister Lindi and I helped mum in her projects. It was a fun for us. It made a
great sense of team-work within our family.
My mum work was to make tissue box and waste basket. We helped mum in painting
that goods. It was a fun for us. We were learning the business. My mum sis was very
much interested in black sheep’s. She started to make mugs with the black sheep and
started her business. We were just in phase like look and learn. And still her company is
running very well.
I really appreciate the ideas and listen carefully the ideas. When I was running my
virgin music. Ant called me and said my sheep started to singing. I didn’t laugh.
Because there was an idea for me. I grabbed the idea and made the album Baa Baa Black
sheep and it went hit.
I went from a small cottage industry to different businesses. The risks were high. But I
learnt to be bold and accept the challenges.
He says I lost my faith in myself only once. By 1986 virgin was one of the largest Britain
companies with 4000 staff. When i went public by selling shares this was the time i was
depressed the most, the reason was that i was not really independent in making the
decisions i usually made on my own. When the stock market crash i bought all the
shares back at the price on which they had been issued, so that people who trusted and
invested in his business should not loose.

LIVE THE MOMENTS

 Love Life
 Enjoy the moment
 Make every second count
 Don’t have regret

In this section, Richard says Love Life and Live It to the full, Enjoy the Moment, Reflect
on your Life, Make Every Second Count and Don't Have Regrets.
He says when I had gone to beat the record in hot-air balloon. I wrote something for my
kids before flying, I wrote “Live Life to full, Enjoy every minute of it. Love and look
after mum.
The words sum up that don’t waste time, have fun and love your family. Making
money is not in that list.
He says that try to live every second of life. Means try to manage your work as well as
your time for your family. He says not just concentrate on business, also concentrate on
other activities. He gives the example of his grandmother, that when she was of 89
when she passed the advanced Latin America Ballroom dancing exam. And she was of
90 when she became the oldest person to hit a hole in one at golf. But she didn’t stop
learning and he read the book of Stephen hawking, history of time, which makes her
one of the few people to have read it all.
Mr. Richard says when our family gathers together, I just give fifteen minute to my
business. People ask how I manage. I say I count every second. And then he share one
of his experience, how he started to give time to its family. He says my first wife used
to say me that you cannot make the balance between family and business. Because at
that time I was also doing business from home by listening the phone, but I learn from
this and now I am not performing the same thing.
He says when I get nothing to do, for example travelling from Hong Kong to china, I
use catnap because after a small sleep, I will wake up fresh and mind will be fresh to
churn out the new ideas and I will be able to move for the next hours.
He thinks that regrets weigh you down. They hold you back in the past when you
should move on.

VALUE FAMILY AND FRIEND

 Put the family and team first
 Be loyal
 Money is for making things happen
 Pick the right people and reward talent
Richard Branson perceives that family and team comes first, in the book he said that
there are almost 40000 members of the virgin family (virgin group employees) and each
one of these members count. Then he recounted about the incident when he went to
church and seated himself next to his best friend instead of the guest and his mom was
very angry and she told him that a guest is a guest and guests come first.

Mr. Branson thinks that you can be best friends with someone and still not agree with
him, and if you are close, you can get through with it and still remain friends. He
supported the argument by giving the example of his childhood best friend who was
working with him at the student magazine. He betrayed him and he had to fire him but
still they remained friends and when he expanded to mail order records he hired him
back and gave him 40% share, and his decision was a good one he helped him out in
those troubled times when the business had trouble with cash, by some of his policies.

In 1970’s they went for launching record studio in those days recording was done just
like other office works. They were hostile places for the bands to work in the bands had
to come early in the morning at 8 and had to bring their own instruments too. So there
was not much fun in it. Mr. Branson came up with the idea of a studio where the bands
and the recording company members could record and have fun too like a family. So he
started search for the premises, and finally settled for a mansion which was of 30,000
pounds. He didn’t have that much money so he went to bank for borrowing, the bank
agreed to provide him with 20,000 but he still lacked 10,000 so he turned to his parents
and they gave him 2,500. But 7,500 was still short, so his parents advised him to go to
his aunt, who gave him 7,500 pounds though she didn’t have that much money but she
trusted him and borrowed the money from bank.

Mr. Branson thinks that whatever he is today is because of his family. He then gave
example of Mr. Ken he was a clerk but he knew a lot and was really good at dealing
with people. So he hired him on the team and he resulted to be an asset. He also told us
that always take advice from others but do whatever you perceive is best. Have
confidence and do not regret because it hampers you to think about the future.

In the end of the chapter he says that if anyone asks me, what I believe in above all else I
would say my family. He thinks that those people who don’t have any one in the family
for them friends and other people near them are their family.

Believe in family is important.

HAVE RESPECT

 Be polite and respectful

 Do the right things
 Keep your good name
 Be fair in all your dealings

Mr Richard tells one of his experience in which he learns to get the ideas and views of
others. He says once he was in hurry, he grabbed the papers and called for taxi and
started to read the material for meeting in taxi. But taxi driver started to act in way that
he knew Richard and requested him to have a cup of tea with him at his home. When
they reached at the home, Richard shocked to see he was his friend in a changed face.
Richard said I also used that idea in my rebel billionaire show to know about the views
of actors. And changed my looks and took them in taxi to manor. And listened their
dismay. He says I did it because I wanted to see their problems to help them because I
respect them, and respect is about how to treat everyone not just those you want to
impress.
He says once I was looking for a partner to take stake in virgin, I found Americans
wanted a close grip in the business, while I was just searching for the silence partner
because I like to take decisions on my own. I found a Japanese partner because Japanese
don’t want a buck hurry they can wait for their goal to achieve for 200 years in a solid
way. So learnt here to think long-term and then wait for reward and don’t become
hurry for the buck.

He says once my headmaster said to me that Branson I predict that either you will go to
jail or become a millionaire. So once I knew that for Belgium, we can sell the records
tax-free. So I bought records from different companies, and went for selling it through
France. But I didn’t know that in France you have to pay tax. When at France after
stamping my records they passed me towards the drove, at drove they asked for tax. I
argued with them that I am not going to sell it in France, I am just passing by. But they
didn’t agree. So I came back toward London. But I dawned on that I can sell these
records in London but it will be illegal because I had purchased these for export. But I
started to sell and also bought others records in the same way, going and returning
from France after stamping. But I caught by tax office by raiding at my ware house. And
caught in jail. Mum came for my support and bails her house. And she said to me,
Ricky I know you have learned a lesson. Don’t cry over spilled milk. We have got to get
on and deal with his head on. Custom offices came agree to pay 45000 thousand pound,
three times of my illegal profit. Then I set my goal to earn more money but legally. And
learnt be fair in all your dealings. Don’t cheat but aim to win because your reputation is
everything.

DO SOME GOOD
 Change the world even if in a small way
 Make a difference and help others
 Do no harm,
 Always think what you can do to help

Richard says that he has taught to help each other and give the good ideas to other. He
says I had given the idea to my head mastered how he could the run the business good.
He was stunned but he didn’t laugh, he said I’ll consider it, put it in the school
magazine.
When I started my student magazine, I used that idea to run my business. When I and
my sister were selling the copies of our magazine, a person asked me for penny, I didn’t
had the penny to give but I tore my clothes and gave to him. I left my whole day in a
wrapped blanket but I felt quite noble to help someone.

One of the best ways to help others, Mr. Richard had started student advice center.
Where everyone can asks for advice. And it’s still going good.

Mr. Richard says some people say that money is the evil of all wrong things. But he says
it is not true because money can be used for the good purpose. He gives the example of
Harvard which was started by donation of book and just 350 pound and now it is the
most leading college. IKIA parent company is a charitable trust. Bill gates also give very
much money to charity. McDonald gives 50 million dollar each year to charity. So
money can be forced for good. But you don’t need to be rich to do well. Kids also collect
money to help the needy people. One very simple way that cost nothing is to do no
harm.

He describes of his work with the king Hussein when the Saddam invaded the Kuwait
and most refugees were flooding over the border. He has provided the blankets to
them, by asking from Queen for help. Queen knew him because he had seen him flying
in Hot-air balloon and also requested Richard to teach the royal family how to fly the
air-balloon. He had done a great job by making a deal with the Saddam to rescue the
hostages and in return they will provide them the medical supplies in which the Iraq
was going in shortage. But he says at the same time, one man was not happy, and he
was the owner of British airlines, because he was getting jealous from me. I was doing
these thing while I was in great trouble because my virgin airlines was being wanted
more money and virgin music was the only thing that was creating money , so the
option was to sale the virgin music Or to sale the virgin airlines, but I manage both
while also helped. So we must see over the period whether our goals has been achieved,
and what old things we need to weed out, means our bad habits and bad tricks must be
weed out.