Warren Buffett is one of the few business leaders who can give us wise and true advice when we need it most. And when we really think about his advice, it's always right.
In her book about Buffett, "The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life," Alice Schroeder writes about a time when Buffett gave a presentation at The University of Georgia. The students asked him what he thinks success means.
When you’re nearing your end of life, your only measure of success should be the number of “people you want to have love you actually do love you,” he answered.
"I know people who have a lot of money, and they get special dinners and they get hospital parts named after them. But the truth is that nobody in the world loves them," said Buffett. “If you get to my age in life and nobody thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank account is, your life is a disaster.”
That's right, a very rich man says that how much you are loved — not your money or achievements — is the best way to measure success in life.
To give and receive
Love is one of the strongest feelings a person can have. But we still live in a world where people try to be better than others: We work hard on our businesses and plan our jobs to try to get famous and rich. We think we've made it when we can go on vacation twice a year to far-away places and buy expensive cars. We dream about having all these things, and forget about love.
“The problem with love is that it’s not for sale,” Buffett told the students. “The only way to get love is to be lovable. It’s very irritating if you have a lot of money. You’d like to think you could write a check: I’ll buy a million dollars’ worth of love. But it doesn’t work that way. The more you give love away, the more you get.”
So how can we follow Buffett's idea of success in a way that leaves a good memory of us? Trying to spread love is brave and hard, but here are some ways to do it:
1. Be kind and don't expect anything back
Love works both ways. When we choose to love someone without asking for anything, by supporting and believing in them, love comes back to us through respect, admiration, trust and loyalty.
When we get these things, we become kinder to ourselves. A 2011 study by the University of California found that being kind to yourself can make you try harder, have more willpower and recover better from failure. Another study in 2007 found that people who are kind to themselves are more likely to be happy, positive and take action on their own.
2. Be empathetic
Understanding others is one of the most common traits of likable (or, as Buffett likes to say, "lovable") people. True understanding happens when you can put yourself in someone else's place and see things from their view.
Understanding others also helps a lot in being able to influence people. In a study of more than 15,000 leaders in 20 industries, researchers found that the ability to listen and respond with understanding was the most important thing for a team's overall performance.
3. Make work fun and enjoyable
When you enjoy work, you enjoy life. In Carol J. Loomis' book about Buffett, "Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything," she mentions a quote from Buffett: "I love every day. I mean, I dance into work and work with only people I like. There is no job in the world that is more fun than running Berkshire, and I feel lucky to be where I am."
The message is clear: In positive and uplifting workplaces where people share the same values, beliefs and rules, you'll find a high-performing group of people who attract others like them.
4. Treat others how they want to be treated
As kids, we're often taught the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you want to be treated." But the Platinum Rule takes it further: "Treat others the way they want to be treated."
When we follow the Platinum Rule, we can be more sure that we're respecting what others want, instead of pushing our own values and likes onto them. This doesn't mean we should forget the Golden Rule completely, but we should know its limits because every person and situation is different.
5. Follow your passion
To have your dream job, you need to do what you really like. It's easy. Many of us have good pay and safe jobs, but we might not like our work. We might want to do something else - something we really enjoy.
As people, doing what we love makes us very happy in life. So if you don't know what you really like to do, you should try to find out.
Credits: Thanks to Marcel Schwantes and CNBC Make It
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