A few years ago, I caught a glimpse of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett sharing the stage, town hall style, with a group of graduating seniors to discuss business, career and life advice. Gates talked about the blessing he gained when his parents challenged him to extend his comfort zone, and to do things that he wasn’t particularly good at. Not only did that teach him stick-to-itiveness, more importantly, it’s what exposed him to the leadership opportunities that shaped the person he is today. Warren Buffett, on the other hand, focused on the power of investing in yourself. “Investing in yourself,” he said “has an incredibly high return on investment”, and if you know anything about him, you surely know about his relationship with his professor and mentor Benjamin Graham.
In 1949, Buffett picked up a copy of Graham’s, Intelligent Investor and as he’s often heard saying, “that was the luckiest day of my life, because it not only changed my investment philosophy, it changed my whole life.” Buffett remains the prototypical exemplar of why those who get ahead in life never stop learning. Caroline Ceniza-Levine knows a thing or two about helping you advance your career, but you might be surprised to hear why she thinks focus is overrated.