Carolyn Dewar, Founder and Global Leader, CEO Practice at McKinsey and Company, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“The Quiet Grace of Warren Buffett’s Goodbye
When Warren Buffett says he’s ‘going quiet,’ the world listens.
In his final letter as head of Berkshire Hathaway, he announced Greg Abel will take the helm and in doing so, offered a masterclass in how great leaders step aside. No victory lap. No self-congratulation. Just humility, trust, and a clear handover.
In an era where so many leaders cling to control, Buffett models something rare: succession as an act of stewardship, not ownership. He’s preparing others to succeed, not ensuring he’s remembered. That’s leadership at its most selfless.
But beyond the structure of the transition lies something deeper, the quiet wisdom of a man who has shaped generations of investors and executives, and whose final words remind us what really endures.
He writes with gratitude for ‘Lady Luck,’ acknowledging that much of his success came from timing, health, and birth. That humility — to recognize what you didn’t earn — is perhaps the hardest, and most essential, leadership muscle of all.
He reflects that ‘greatness does not come about through accumulating money, publicity, or power. Kindness is costless but also priceless.’
Coming from one of the wealthiest people in history, that line lands differently. It reframes success as character, not capital.
He reminds us that ‘the cleaning lady is as much a human being as the Chairman.’
In those twelve words lies an entire leadership philosophy: decency is not decorative. Respect is what sustains loyalty, trust, and long-term success.
And perhaps most profoundly, he shows that endings can be as graceful as beginnings.
His handoff to Greg Abel is firm yet warm, a reminder that legacy is not what you build for yourself, but what you leave for others.
For CEOs and leaders today, there’s a powerful mirror here. Buffett’s final letter isn’t about Berkshire’s earnings or portfolio — it’s about what endures when the titles and trappings fall away: integrity, humility, stewardship, and love of the work itself.
We will all face our own version of this moment someday — a transition, a turning of the page, our own ‘seasons four’ in our journey.
The question is not whether we can match Buffett’s record, but whether we can match his grace.
He may be ‘going quiet.’
But his example will echo for a very long time.”
Katherine Van Loon, Editor in Chief of JCO Global Oncology at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) shared this post, adding:
“Applicable across industries…It’s about what endures when the titles and trappings fall away: integrity, humility, stewardship, and love of the work itself.”