The five most important things my dad has taught me

I feel so fortunate to have learnt so much from my dad throughout my life – mostly through osmosis! What I love most is his unwavering moral compass, kindness and unending curiousity about life and every person he meets. Something else I really admire about Dad is the consistency of his character. Despite being an avid risk-taker and very prone to spontaneity – his core values have never changed. Nor has the way he deals with setbacks, the way he treats people, and his general outlook on life. This consistency of character has taught me more than anything, and it’s cemented the core lessons I discuss below. 

Harry Kinnaird

1. Wherever there’s a problem, there’s an opportunity. In true entrepreneurial style, Dad has always seen opportunities where many of us just see problems. There have been countless conversations where someone will be complaining about one thing or another, and you can see Dad conjuring up a plan in his mind (or out loud). It’s such a wonderful outlook to have on life, and thankfully it has rubbed off on me over the years. Every pain point is a chance to create something new, something better. 

2. Listen more than you speak. Dad had this drilled into him from his mum (my beautiful Granny Eve) when he was little, and I can honestly say that he lives up to it every day. Whenever he’s asked to share his top piece of advice, his answer is almost always about listening. People are often surprised by the amount of questions Dad asks them during a conversation and I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen Dad jotting down notes while listening to an employee, customer, or friend about an experience they’ve had with a Virgin company. What’s more, he will always relay the feedback and follow up to see what they’ve actioned from it! Beyond its usefulness in business, Dad always reminds us that listening is just a simple sign of respect; which is what everyone deserves.  

Branson Family

3. Look after your people, and your people will look after your business. This is one of the best things that Dad drilled into me before I joined the Senior Leadership Team at Virgin. After growing up alongside many Virgin companies, I saw him put it in practice a lot too. You can’t have a healthy business if it’s not filled with healthy and happy people. This is especially true for Virgin, which is such an experience-led brand. So, when I read about a brilliant policy from Netflix to give employees unlimited annual leave, I immediately got on the phone to Dad to see if we could try it at Virgin Management. He agreed right away, and we’ve upheld the policy to this day. 

4. Failing is the best way to learn. When I was younger, I couldn’t understand why Dad almost seemed disappointed when I passed my school exams! He’s always said that his biggest failures made for his best learning experiences. Now that school is firmly behind me and I’ve experienced first-hand how much you grow from your mistakes, I understand Dad’s slight disappointment with my better report cards! 

Image from Adam Slama

5. Say yes to the things that scare you. Dad’s nickname is Doctor Yes, and I grew up with him saying: “screw it, let’s do it” in my ear. It has led to some terrifying but wonderful things – like attempting to kite-surf across the Atlantic, climbing Mont Blanc, and even changing my career when medicine wasn’t fulfilling me. Dad has taught me to take a deep breath and throw caution to the wind sometimes. Even if things don’t go to plan, you’ll often have a good story to tell!