At this year’s meeting for Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffet announced that he’d ask the board to replace him as CEO at the end of the year. He’ll be 95 years old then.
After a standing ovation, Buffet credited much of his success to the many mentors he worked with throughout his career. His advice?
Find Your Sound
Buffett found his life’s passion — investing — early. Buffett compared choosing the right career to a band finding the right ‘sound.’ “I urge people to never give up the quest, for when they find that sort of job, they will no longer be ‘working.’ I think a happy person lives longer than somebody that’s doing things they don’t really admire in life,” he said.
Say “No”
Guard your time. There will undoubtedly be plenty of people and causes vying for your attention. Setting boundaries helps you focus on the important things. In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, Buffett put it even more succinctly: “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.”
Inventory Your Friends
“Hang out with people who are better than you, because you’re going to go in the direction of the people you associate with,” Buffet said. Like I tell my nephews: You will rise and fall according to the level of the water around you.
Wonderful career and life advice from the Oracle of Omaha. A man who has amassed an estimated net worth of US $159.7 billion from his ‘sound,’ and plans to donate 100% of it to charities.