The One Thing Buffett Was TERRIBLE At

Imagine Warren Buffett, the investing legend, freaking out before a talk? Believe it or not, public speaking used to make him want to puke!

“Up until about the age of 20 ... just the thought of [public speaking] made me physically ill,” Buffett admits.

But he knows developing communication skills is one of the most important skillsets in life.

He says that even “a modest improvement can make a major difference in your future earning power, as well as in many other aspects of your life.”

So, after Columbia Business School, he finally decided to face his fear and took a public speaking course by Dale Carnegie.

Buffett credits much of his success to the class, and his office shows more than enough proof. “I don’t have my diploma from the University of Nebraska hanging on my office wall, and I don’t have my diploma from Columbia up there either — but I do have my Dale Carnegie graduation certificate proudly displayed,” he says.

To Buffett, communication is an “essential” skill, no matter what job you’re in, because you need to be “able to get others to follow your ideas.”

“If you’re a salesperson, you want people to follow your advice. If you’re a management leader, you want them to follow you in business. Whatever you do, good communication skills are incredibly important and something that almost anybody can improve upon, both in writing and speaking,” Buffett adds.

Sure, public speaking takes practice, and conquering that fear takes even more practice. But anyone can get better at communication by focusing on writing first.

The better you write, the better you'll speak, naturally, over time. 😀 

Arigato and happy writing and improving!

Chloe Lin
Arigato Investor