Buffett also taught her the value of criticizing by category and praising by name—meaning leaders should recognize individual employees for good work but avoid singling out people when something goes wrong.
“You’re always going to regret it if you criticize someone by name; it’s going to come back and bite you,” Fraser said.
Fraser recalled one moment Buffett’s lesson proved especially helpful: when an activist investor began putting pressure on the bank. At first, she said she had a self-described “very rude response” to the idea of being empathetic toward someone causing her problems. But stepping back and viewing the situation from the investor’s perspective, she said, ultimately led to a breakthrough.
“I think empathy gives you a competitive edge because there’s far too many people that don’t try and understand the other perspective,” Fraser added.
Ultimately, Fraser said putting Buffett’s mantra into practice isn’t too complicated: “Just don’t be a jerk to people.”
“Good people in a bad culture, they’ll go back to being good people again and fix the culture,” she said. “But if an asshole’s always an asshole, and it’s amazing how that just drains energy.”
Fortune reached out to Citi, and the company had no further comment.
Fraser’s emphasis on attitude is echoed by other CEOs who say mindset can make an outsized difference early in a career.
“I often say your altitude in life is completely determined by your attitude in life.”
