{Leadership} Management techniques from Richard Branson – motivating employees

BRANSON: Well I mean, I think, I find that some American companies are anything but good at motivating people. And I find that hard to understand, because if you’ve got a happy, motivated group of people you’re working with, you can achieve anything. And you know, you can ride the good times together, you can ride the bad times together. If you treat your people badly, they’re not going to go that extra mile when things get tough.

Source: Extra: Richard Branson Full Interview – Freakonomics Freakonomics

I think Mr. Branson is glossing over the workplace culture that needs to be in place, starting with the hiring of competent employees who are also a good fit for the company’s culture.