According to a recent Inc. article, Warren Buffett:

“Without good communication skills, you won’t be able to convince people to follow you, even though you see over the mountain, and they don’t.”

Warren Buffett has a gift – a well-honed strength, actually – for being able to see beyond the business and market headlights. When it comes to investing, he is a visionary.

In that same article, Bill Gates notes the need for good communication in order to collaborate with people across the board…and indeed, across the world.

Richard Branson promotes good communication from a connection standpoint – realizing that the connections you have help get you where you want to go.

Three of the richest men in the world have identified the need for good communication, yet each has a different vantage point as to why it matters.

• To share a vision and wisdom
• To work with others
• To accomplish a goal

What is interesting is what their perspective says about their strengths.

• Warren Buffett is considered a business sage. He is not as outspoken as others in his style of leadership, but he is a leader nonetheless. He leads by vision and discernment.
• Bill Gates is a natural introvert. Many consider extroverts leaders but fail to realize the power of an introvert working in his strengths. Bill Gates’ gifts are that of being highly analytical, yet able to work with a team to draw on all strengths. The end result has had phenomenal impact on our world today.
• Richard Branson would be considered the most natural leader of the three. His strengths include the ability to build business empires (and he has), but beyond that, he is able to connect with power players who make those businesses successful.

Now while I can’t guarantee you will become a billionaire, I can assure you that if you successfully marry your strengths with strong communication skills, you can go far in your business and career.

Strengths are who you are. You can build on them to a high level.

Communication is not a natural strength, but a skill that everyone can develop. It is a skill that must be honed, whether you are an introvert or (and this may surprise you) an extrovert.

• Introverts must learn to communicate what they see beyond the headlights – to project from their inner world to the outside world.
• Extroverts must learn the art of listening – to absorb from the outer world and reflect back from their inner world. Communication is both speaking and listening.

As a leader, these are two of the best tools you can have in your arsenal of business:

• Knowing your strengths and strengths of your team members
• Being able to communicate well

As the CEO of Strength Leader Development, Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after international executive mentor, coach, trainer and speaker. Deb is well versed in global business operations and helps business leaders and their teams to discover and leverage their strengths, so they can create highly collaborative teams that deliver great results. With a refreshingly direct style, Deb helps leaders and their teams to deliver profitable results. Connect with Deb to learn more about her mentorship and coaching programs to equip you with advanced strategies to elevate your results.