Three moments when people changed history by saying stuff
When being a good communicator matters
Some years ago, an MBA student asked Warren Buffett the following question in an event at Columbia University, Buffett’s alma mater:
As I get ready to graduate, I was wondering, what’s the one thing that your MBA didn’t prepare you for when you got out into the real world?
Work on your communication skills, said Mr. Buffet. By doing this, you’ll improve your value by 50%. Here’s Buffett’s answer:
Right now, I would pay $100,000 for 10% of the future earnings of any of you. So anybody that wants to see me after this is over. If that’s true, you are a million-dollar asset right now, right, if 10% of you is worth 100,000? But if you improve your value 50% by having better communication skills, that’s another $500,000 in terms of capital value. See me after the class and I’ll pay you 150-thousand.
This quote reminded me of a text I wrote by pasting together three stories that I had collected throughout the years. The stories had one thing in common: they were about specific individuals that changed history by standing up and delivering a message when they had to.
That post, Three Stories That Demonstrate How Your Communication Skills Can Change Your Life, has become the most popular post in Astrolab blog’s history.
Today, I want to share that text with the INFLUX 🪐 community. I hope you like it!
The speech that saved Nike (1972)
The first story appears in Shoe Dog, the autobiography of Phil Knight, one of Nike’s co-founders, and a recurrent character in this newsletter.
Nike started as Blue Ribbon in 1964, distributing Onitsuka sneakers in the United States. Eventually, Onitsuka revoked their exclusivity in 1972, forcing Blue Ribbon to produce their own sneakers.
When they received the news, the team was in shock. Phil Knight had prepared a speech, but before speaking, he decided to leave his notes behind and speak from the heart.
This is what he said:
What I’m trying to say is, we have them right where we want them. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, our moment.
Our supplier Onitsuka has limited us for years. Who among you is not tired of that? It’s time to face the facts. Whether we win or lose, it will be on our terms, with our ideas, with our brands. We sold two million USD last year, all thanks to you.
Let’s not see this as a crisis; let’s see it as our liberation. The day of our independence.
Yes, it will be tough, I won’t lie to you. We’re definitely going to war, folks, but we know the terrain, and that’s why I feel in my heart that this is a war we can win.
And if we win, when we win, I see great things for us on the other side of this victory.
We’re still alive, folks, we’re still alive…
The message was so successful that a few months later, Blue Ribbon released their first original sneaker onto the market: the Nike Cortez.
Insight: A message, shared at the right moment, openly acknowledging the challenges faced by the organization, and infused with a strong dose of the leader's vulnerability, can be the spark that ignites a fire.
The Breakfast That Altered Austin’s Future (1983)
In the early 1980s, Japan dominated the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
The United States government felt threatened by Japan’s promise to create artificial intelligence, and in response, they established the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC).
The MCC was an organization formed by twenty technology companies like G.E., Microsoft, Kodak, Honeywell, with the task of making the United States a global leader in this industry.
The first decision to make? Where to establish it.
The most obvious choice was Silicon Valley. However, the project leader, Bobby Inman, decided to hold an open call: fifty-seven communities submitted offers.
The idea was for governors, mayors, university presidents, and business leaders to make their pitch to a committee consisting of Inman and six other executives. The committee evaluated the quality of life, traffic, the flow of specialized talent, and airports, among other elements.
Eventually, the committee narrowed down the participants to four:
San Diego,
Atlanta,
Austin, and
a region in North Carolina known as the Research Triangle.
Inman had a preference for San Diego, where he had lived for a while, so they scheduled a meeting with their applicant, George Deukmejian, the Governor of California, and agreed to meet on the campus of the University of California there.
But something unexpected happened: the Governor arrived twenty minutes late and merely read a document discussing the benefits of establishing the MCC in San Diego. Shortly afterward, he left, not leaving much time for discussion.
He shouldn’t have bothered showing up, Inman said.
On the other hand, the visit to Austin was quite different. The Chief of Staff of the Texas Governor welcomed them at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library with breakfast and a pitch focused on benefits for MCC employees and the required talent flow.
Inman made his decision right there: Austin was going to be the next Silicon Valley.
Insight: Be mindful of your audience. Be on time, and understand what your audience values.
The Response That Put Obama Ahead (2008)
The third story took place on September 25, 2008, during the presidential election. Around that time, the economic crisis stemming from the real estate bubble was at one of its worst moments.
In his autobiography, Obama recalls receiving a call from President Bush inviting him to an emergency meeting with Congressional leaders and both teams present (McCain’s and Obama’s).
President Bush opened the meeting by giving the floor to Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House Speaker. Nancy and Obama had agreed that if this happened, Obama would speak first, and this was the case.
Of course, Obama was prepared for that moment. He gave his opinion in a clear, precise and timely manner.
Then, President Bush turned to McCain and said:
John, since I already gave Obama a chance to speak, it’s your turn.
After an awkward silence, McCain improvised for two or three minutes until he fell silent, embarrassed by his lack of preparation. Everyone fell silent.
There are moments in an election and in life where all possible paths except one suddenly close.
This was one of those moments, Obama concluded.
Insight: Always be prepared to speak; you never know when the opportunity will arise.
I’ll end this newsletter with a quote by Tiago Forte that I highlighted in his book, Second Brain:
Our careers and businesses depend more than ever on our ability to advance a particular point of view and persuade others to adopt it as well.
That’s all for today. See you next Thursday!
Andrés
Briefs
Let’s be Clear 🗂️: As I wrote last week, this new program serves a very different purpose than INSPIRA: if INSPIRA is about storytelling, relationships and influence, Let’s be Clear is about creating and delivering concise messages and presentations. We’re planning to rolling it out very soon. We’re planning to run some Let’s be Clear workshops for free with groups that fit our target audience.
INSPIRA 🏦: Charly is facilitating an INSPIRA today for a financial institution in Mexico City.
Narrative work 🍈: Emilio is in Chiapas running a workshop for the leadership team of an agricultural company