Melinda French Gates said Warren Buffett advised her to focus on what she would \”not do\” Buffett was a trustee and major donor to the Gates Foundation from 2006 to 2021. He played a key role in supporting the foundation’s environmental, economic, and humanitarian initiatives. French Gates also discussed the broader issue of women’s empowerment, calling for more women in leadership roles and emphasizing the need for systemic change to achieve gender equality. She explained that without clear boundaries, you might end up overwhelmed with extra work, favors from colleagues, and other distractions, which can lead to stress or burnout. She emphasized the importance of saying \”no\” early when needed. \”If you know it’s a no right away, don’t linger on it, just say no. The clarity helps you and it helps them,\” she said of Buffett’s advice to her and other successful people, as quoted in James Clear’s 2018 book Atomic Habits. \”The difference between successful people and really successful people is thatreally successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything,\” Buffett said in the book.