Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO
In a 2010 interview, Warren Buffet said the best advice he ever received was from Berkshire Hathaway board-of-directors member Thomas Murphy. Murphy told Buffett:
“Never forget, Warren, you can tell a guy to go to hell tomorrow – you don’t give up the right. So just keep your mouth shut today, and see if you feel the same way tomorrow.”
Wayne Pacelle, CEO and president of The Humane Society of the United States
“One of my former board members said, ‘Don’t try to do everything because that’s an impossible task, and no one will notice anything that you do because you’re spread too thin.’ So he said to concentrate on a few big things, make an impact and people will notice that impact.”
Stephen Steinour, CEO, president and chairman of Huntington Bancshares Inc.
“Turn the lights on and off. Get up early, work hard, work late and volunteer. Learn as much as you can about the organization, and demonstrate a commitment, which will provide career options and opportunities.”
John Chen, CEO of Blackberry
“Most employees think that the best way to show value to their boss and get promoted is to aggressively claim credit and ownership over everything they do. While it’s important to be recognized for what you do and the value you add, grabbing the glory is going to turn off your co-workers.”
Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman of The Virgin Group
“The amount of time people waste dwelling on failures, rather than putting that energy into another project, always amazes me. I have fun running ALL the Virgin businesses – so a setback is never a bad experience, just a learning curve.”
Marissa Mayer, President and CEO of Yahoo
“My friend Andre said to me, ‘You know, Marissa, you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself to pick the right choice, and I’ve gotta be honest: That’s not what I see here. I see a bunch of good choices, pick one and make it great.’”
Diana Tremblay, General Motors vice president of global business services
“Don’t think because you’re a leader that you have all the answers. You should make sure you’re spending as much time listening, if not more, than talking. And make sure that you’re not afraid to ask for help if there are things you don’t know – I can guarantee there are things you don’t know. It’s OK to reach out and ask for help, and allow those people that have that expertise to contribute. You don’t have to know it all because you’re the leader.”
Suze Orman, motivational speaker, author, and CNBC host
In a LinkedIn article about the best advice she ever received, Suze Orman wrote that success has often made her a target of nasty criticism “entirely disconnected from facts.”
At first, these attacks made Orman angry, but she eventually learned to ignore them.
“A wise teacher from India shared this insight: The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking,” she wrote.
“The sad fact is that we all have to navigate our way around the dogs in our career: external critics, competitors, horrible bosses, or colleagues who undermine. Based on my experience, I would advise you to prepare for the yapping to increase along with your success.”
Even if you don’t have a top CEO’s number saved in your phone, you can use the same advice they rely on to help you make the tough decisions you face. Be humble, think it over, analyze your options and then, like Orman said, be willing to be the elephant who walks past the yapping dogs.
Contact us if you still need advice for your Community Association managers.
