What is the secret to a billionaire’s success? When Warren Buffet was asked how young people could mimic his wealth, he said: ‘Hone your communication skills, both written and verbal… You can have all the brainpower in the world, but you have to be able to transmit it, and the transmission is communication.’
Buffet knows this is easier said than done. Early in his career he’d vomit before every speech. After graduating from Columbia Business School and the New York Institute of Finance, he took a public speaking course from Dale Carnegie. ‘It changed my life,’ he says. It’s the only diploma displayed on his office wall.
Other businessmen also rank public speaking as a key driver of success. The author of Empowering Yourself, Harvey Coleman, cites ‘exposure’ as 60 per cent of the reason for his success, ‘image’ as 30 per cent and ‘performance’ a meagre 10 per cent.
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