Be Someone Warren Buffett Would Invest In



More countries, more soft drinks. That’s it. It has worked for over a century.


The #2 spot in Warren’s portfolio is  Wells Fargo, a financial services company that stayed on the straight and narrow while other banks gave out risky loans. They stayed accountable and stuck to the strategies that already worked despite tremendous industry pressure. They stayed accountable to their shareholders as well, bypassing the short term gains that appeal to some investors.


19.5% of Warren’s holdings are in Wells Fargo. For a reason.

Warren’s Leadership Lesson #2: Be Accountable to your strategy and stick to your standards, avoiding flashy and risky short term gains.

#3 is American Express. Warren bought it at a discount in 1964 when a fraud scandal brought the shares to an all-time low. Amex had made millions in loans based on the assessed, verified value of oil used in salad dressings . One tiny snag–the oil was actually huge tanks of water with oil on top, part of a sophisticated scam. Amex had a choice: pay out the loans they’d been scammed out of or punt and tank their reputation. American Express delivered on its promises by footing a bill for millions. A massive loss was the result, but the scandal demonstrated leadership through a crisis. The following year the shares doubled.

Warren’s Leadership Lesson #3: Be Direct. If a crisis occurs, handle it swiftly and completely.

So what does Warren really want? The following leadership qualities plus one more that makes ALL the difference…


Be Accountable. Make and keep commitments to yourself and others. Developing leaders give their accountability away to either other people or circumstances. The quality and speed of results are directly proportional to how much accountability one takes on about having those results.

Be Direct. Be clear and explicit in your words, actions, visions, intentions and strategies. Otherwise misunderstandings, miscommunications and wasted resources will result. Clarity strengthens a team’s commitment and trust with one other and their projects.

Influence occurs through our language, decision making, requests and promises, actions, intentions and ways of being. Influence is all about empowering others in tangible, measurable, specific ways.