Warren Buffett Says This Is the Single Greatest Skill to Boost Your Career and Improve Your Worth

Over the years, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett has given his fans and followers plenty of career advice. So, one might wonder which piece of it Buffett considers his best.

The answer hasn’t changed. It’s working on your public speaking skills (more on that below). The ability to emotionally, mentally, and intellectually persuade, inform, and captivate an audience of three or 300 through your words is, and will always be, something that technology and now AI can’t replicate. Ever.

Improve your worth by 50 percent

In the televised CNBC Town Hall event Warren Buffett and Bill Gates: Keeping America Great back in 2009, Buffett took questions from an audience of students at Columbia University, Buffett’s alma mater. A second-year MBA student asked him, “As I get ready to graduate, I was wondering, what’s the one thing that your MBA didn’t prepare you for when you got out into the real world?”

Remember, this is 2009, which is not long ago. The video of this event is impossible to find, but I did find the transcript of it. Here’s an excerpt of Buffett’s answer to the question:

Right now, I would pay $100,000 for 10% of the future earnings of any of you.  So anybody that wants to see me after this is over — [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE]  If that’s true, you are a million-dollar asset right now, right, if 10% of you is worth 100,000? You could improve — many of you, and I certainly could have when I got out, just in terms of learning communication skills. You know, it’s not something that is taught. I actually went to a Dale Carnegie course later on in terms of public speaking. But if you improve your value 50% by having better communication skills, that’s another $500,000 in terms of capital value. See me after the class and I’ll pay you 150-thousand.  [APPLAUSE]

In simple Buffett-speak, he quantifies the worth of your talent, making you a million-dollar asset or more. The best part? You can increase your value by 50 percent by refining your communication abilities and gaining an extra $500,000 in value. It is an investment that will pay off for the rest of your career. Public speaking is “an asset that will last you 50 or 60 years,” says Buffett. But he warns that it’s also a liability; if you don’t like public speaking and working on your communication, it “will also last you 50 or 60 years, and it’s a necessary skill.”

Learn from others, like Steve Jobs

Buffett advises observing and learning from people you admire to improve your worth. Reflect on why you admire certain people’s communication skills. Is it their sense of humor or their ability to connect with their audience? You can enhance your speaking style by identifying these traits and incorporating them yourself. 

Steve Jobs had a knack for simplifying complex ideas into digestible, relatable concepts. He avoided technical jargon and communicated with clarity, ensuring that his message resonated with a broad audience. Jobs was also deeply passionate about his work and conveyed that passion through his presentations. His enthusiasm was infectious, drawing audiences into his vision and creating a sense of excitement around Apple’s products and innovations. This genuine passion helped him establish an emotional connection with his listeners.

In closing, consider the impact of improving your public speaking skills on the success it may bring to your business, career, or leadership. Would it raise your value by 50 percent? It’s something to think about.