I watched an inspiring interview with businessman and philanthropist Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. He is incredibly passionate about his work, and I was so inspired not only by what he shared about leadership, mentorship, and careers, but also by the enthusiasm with which he shared.
Here are some notable quotes from the interview:
• “Everyone should have a chance to live up to their potential.”
• “I was lucky – I found out what I liked doing when I was very young. I read every book in the Omaha Public Library on investments by the time I was 11.”
• “I don’t need to work, but I jump out of bed every morning. I’m excited. I come to the office because I think I am painting this painting which is Berkshire Hathaway, and the canvas is of unlimited size, and I get to paint, and I get to paint the way I want to paint.”
• “If you can tell me who your heroes are, I can tell you how you’re going to turn out. It’s really important to have the right heroes.”
• “You want to hang around people who are better than you are. You will move in the direction of the crowd you associate with. It’s very important to marry well.”
• “I love painting on my canvas. I’ll always love it, and I always have loved it. You’re lucky in life if you can find your passion. You may have to take a job or two because you have to eat, but never give up searching for the job that’s your passion. Try to find the job you would have if you were independently rich.”
• “When you find that job that causes you to be excited every day – forget about the pay – with people you love, doing what you love, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
• “Cost of living does not equate to standard of living. Standard of living is achieving what you want to achieve, working with people you love. You don’t need as much money.”
• “If you can’t communicate, talk to people and get across your ideas, or write, then you are giving up your potential. Anybody that has a career potential of “x” then I guarantee it will be 150% of “x” if they really learn how to communicate well.”
• “The job of teachers is to enable students to reach their potential.”
• “It’s amazing how the person that really wants to do a terrific job – arrives a little early, does a little extra work – they just jump out. There aren’t that many, so you will be perceived as exceptional and as a worthy person for [mentorship], if you just do something extra all the time. Don’t be five minutes late, be five minutes early, all the Benjamin Franklin stuff.”
• “If you look around the world at the people that succeed, that other people want to work with, the natural leaders, it isn’t because they have the highest IQ, or they can kick a football the furthest, or anything like that; they’re people you want to work with. You want to look for that, and you want to be that.”
• “Give a lot of thought to the train you’re getting on. It’s important to get on the right train – choose your business wisely. Go to work for someone you admire or a business you admire. You may have to work for someone that causes your stomach to churn for a while to keep eating, but don’t settle for it.”
• “If you fail, just dust yourself off and get right back in. Everyone fails at some things. Almost everything in my life that looked like a failure, usually it turned into a success in some way. The world isn’t over.”
To your success-
Blessings,
