1. The Gary
Dickinson
Lecture in
Business
Enterprise

3. What I
Learned
Before
(and After)
I Sold to
Warren Barnett Helzberg
Buffett
William Jewell College
April 10, 2007

4. Tonight’s Outline
Knowing Knowing
Yourself Others
Knowing the Principles

5. It All Starts with You:
Know Yourself
Focus on YOUR Strengths
Trust Your Gut

7. It All Starts with You:
Know Yourself
Focus on YOUR Strengths
Trust Your Gut
Never Be a Victim
Park Your Ego

8. Then You Involve Others
Integrity
Perception is Reality

10. Then You Involve Others
Integrity
Perception is Reality
High Tech vs. High Touch
No Cold Turndowns
Ask the 3 Magic Questions

11. 1. What do you like that I am
doing?
2. What do you not like that I am
doing?
3. What would you like me to do
that I am not doing?

12. Being listened to is so
close to being loved that
most people cannot tell
the difference.

13. Now, Use the Wisdom of
Organizations:
Know the Principles
Fail Small - Succeed BIG

15. Now, Use the Wisdom of
Organizations:
Know the Principles
Fail Small - Succeed BIG
Pick the Right Goal
Avoid Surprises
Trust Everyone

16. Now, Use the Wisdom of
Organizations:
Know the Principles
Pareto Principle
Communicate Expectations

18. Now, Use the Wisdom of
Organizations:
Know the Principles
Pareto Principle
Communicate Expectations
There’s Always an Answer
Execution over Ideas
A Sense of Urgency

19. When You Combine…
Knowing
Yourself

20. When You Combine…
Knowing Knowing
Yourself Others

21. When You Combine…
Knowing Knowing
Yourself Others
Knowing the Principles

22. Knowing Knowing
Yourself The Others
Successful
You
Knowing the Principles

23. Questions?
► The movie Blood Diamond recently raised a
lot of questions about the diamond industry.
How has the diamond industry been
affected by foreign policy and world events
during your career in the industry, and how
has the issue of so-called “conflict
diamonds” affected your business?

24. Questions?
► What is different about Warren Buffett than
other business people you’ve worked with?
► When you sold to Warren Buffett, you said
that you wanted Helzberg Diamonds to
remain in Kansas City because the Midwest
is the best place to do business. What
examples can you give us of why you
believe this to be true?

25. Questions?
► How often do you get approached with an
opportunity to invest in a new business or
idea? Do you invest in new businesses
very often? What would be the odds of you
investing in a new venture founded by a
college student?