Last weekend’s Berkshire-Hathaway events were densely crowded with people eager to catch a glimpse of Warren Buffett. For me, the whole exercise was stimulating, and unsettling at a deep level.

My sense is most of us came there to dream. To dream that we might learn some secret to his success, so we’ll be really successful too. To dream about what it’s like to be that good, to have that much attention, and to be that admired.

18,000 people gathering to hear Warren Buffet.

I come away from the weekend reflecting quite uncomfortably on deep questions about myself. What do I want my life focus to be? Do I want what he has? I don’t think that’s it, so what is *it* for me? When I wake up tomorrow what will I lean my effort into?

Most people seem to me to feel they have to do more or less the same things they did yesterday, put one foot in front of the other, and hope it leads somewhere ok. People, we have way more choice than that. We have the precious gift of wide-open choice about what we do with our lives.

I wonder how many of us dreamer groupies will come home, ponder uncomfortable questions, make courageous choices, and act with consistent intentionality toward the specific future we want. After all, that’s how Warren Buffett did it.

I spent Saturday at Berkshire-Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting, listening to Q&A with Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett. Here are a few concepts that stood out to me.

Cooperation and Choosing Battles

Warren was asked why he didn’t vote against the Coca-Cola compensation plan he believes is excessive. He said that they did not want to go to war with Coca-Cola. Going to war is almost never a good idea. Charlie agreed and said voicing your disapproval of everything you disapprove of is not an effective way to operate. “If we all did that nobody would be able to hear each other talk. … You have to pick your spots.”

Interesting coming from some very principled and independent-thinking people. They are not stubborn idealists who insist on their way, they value cooperation in the context of disagreement.

Lawsuit Risk

Warren and Charlie are aware their company possesses some of the deepest pockets in the world, and that attracts lawsuits. They intentionally stay out of businesses (athletic safety gear, airport security) that have a high propensity for getting sued when something goes wrong. High-liability industries are for people with a lot less to lose. I hadn’t heard them express this before.

Reputation

Trust earned from a long track record of consistent action is a precious, and fragile, asset.

Warren Buffett has a big advantage in business deals because his integrity is highly trusted. He is keenly aware of this and afraid of losing it due to any illegal or unethical behavior by his 300,000 employees.

Every minute, we are building or damaging our reputation by the choices we make and the way we treat people.

Patience

When asked about why others are not more successful doing what they do (growing a big investment and business portfolio) they said because it’s slow, and people don’t have the patience. It’s not that it’s rocket science, it’s just slow. Charlie joked that “The downside of it being slow is you’re dead before it’s done.”

Simple Truthfulness

They answered questions with simple truthfulness whether controversial or not. Charlie with fewer words and less tact. Both with simplicity. My sense is their great clarity of thought is a side effect of this practice of simple truthfulness.

You can grow at any age, and that includes major shifts, whole new ways of thinking, and dramatically better outcomes. You can grow leaps and bounds as an adult, and that growth will not happen to you automatically, accidentally, or by the simple passage of time. Even major life events won’t, by themselves, create growth.

When you are driven by a hunger for growth, and you intentionally engage in a healthy process over time, you grow. This is more than learning new information, it’s also engaging in new experiences, attempting new challenges, and especially engaging in growth-promoting relationships.

So…. Who and what will you put on your calendar for the express purpose of your growth? What’s your personal growth plan?

If you’d like to make a plan, or add to one, I can help. I invite you to schedule a free conversation with me.

Here’s the kind of situation that tends to move people toward personal growth:

1. When you are in a circumstance that is painful and ongoing.

2. When, while painful, it is not overwhelming.

3. When you care a lot about the situation and/or relationship.

4. And when it’s difficult to escape from.

Leading a business with challenges fits those four quite well. It sure did (and still does) for me.

Growth and discomfort go hand in hand. This is not pleasant news. It’s just the way it works.

The smart (not easy) thing to do in these situations is enter a process of personal growth sooner rather than later.

I’m so fanatically enthusiastic about personal growth I didn’t even realize some people think it all but ends at adolescence. I’ve always expected myself and people I work with to grow regardless of age, and we have.

In the last couple of decades research on neuroplasticity and the evolving self has shown that adults can continue to grow and dramatically change their brains all throughout life.

To me a long adulthood of stagnated growth sounds deeply depressing. Thanks science for the encouraging confirmation. You are never too old to engage in processes that produce growth.