Warren Buffett wrote the forword of a book I am currently studying. Notice I said studying rather than just reading. This excellent book is entitled The Ten Commandments for Business Failure. The book was written by Donald R. Keough, the former president of The Coca-Cola Company.
In the forword, Warren Buffet describes his highly successful life-long friend, Don Keough. Anyone who desires to improve and to be more successful in their personal and professional life would do well to carefully study the words below… written by Warren Buffett… describing Don Keough… and then spend some honest, quality time thinking about how your closest colleagues would and do describe you. Warren Buffett writes:
- It has been an article of faith for me that I should always try to hang out with people who are better than me. There is no question that by doing so you move yourself up.
- When I’m with Don Keough, I can feel myself on the up escalator. He raises my sights and makes me believe more in myself and the world around me. When you are around Don, you are learning something all the time.
- The greatest achievement of good executives is to get things done through other people, not themselves. Now here is a guy who is capable of getting all kinds of people from all over the world, men and women who want to help him succeed. I’ve seen him do it.
- Everyone wants Don to be the keynote speaker. Bill Gates, in particular, always wants it to be Don Keough. Bill just loves listening to Don because Don talks such sense and offers such inspiration.
- Don is on my board at Berkshire Hathaway because he is one of the very few guys I feel I can hand the keys over to.
- Don is of the Ben Franklin school, “Keep thy shop and it will keep thee.”
- Don’s best ability is to cut to the chase on an issue, to cut through the bureaucratic fog. Keep it simple is his principle and mine too.
- After all these years, every time I see Don Keough I feel as refreshed as I do after drinking a Cherry Coke. He never loses his carbonation.
Think about it. These sincere words indicate the highest of praise from Warren Buffett… a man who many people feel is one of the most successful people in the world… personally, professionally and financially. Warren Buffett has far more balance in his life than most perceived “highly successful people.”
Anyone who desires to improve and to be more successful in their personal and professional life would do well to carefully study the words… written by Warren Buffett… describing Don Keough… and then spend some honest, quality time thinking about how your closest colleagues would and do describe you.
Wow! What a powerful lesson… and what a wonderful opportunity to make appropriate adjustments and improvements for more successful living!
