Sam Walton’s Success Secret as Leaders Figure Of Wal-Mart

Sam Walton who have complete name Sam Moore Walton was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma on March 29, 1918. Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart with Bud Walton in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962. Both were born into poor families. Sam Jobs in childhood is squeezing cow’s milk, packaging and distributing bottled milk cows. He also worked for extra money as a newspaper seller, but eventually could be one of the richest men in the world with a network of retail stores, Wal-Mart.

At first, Sam Stores are franchised stores from The Butler Brothers. With the help of Bud Walton, in-law and brother-in-law, Sam opened the store in Ruskin Heights, near Kansas in the shopping center. Then open a larger store called Walton’s Family Center and finally Sam with Bud founded Wal-Mart. Initial strategy was used to discount stores. This strategy is the first in the world. Five years later, Wal-mart has 24 branches with sales of 12.6 million dollars. In 1970, Wal-Mart opens first distribution center and headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, and trade shares of the first time. Then Wal-Mart approved and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2003, the company has operations in more than 4000 stores worldwide. In 1999, with business partners 1,140,000, Wal-Mart became the largest private companies in the world.

The simple act of leader, however cause Big Impact
Every leader must have the force and power of each. A Sam Walton was known to be rather revealing the positive side of someone, then say thank you to someone because of their privilege to do.

Walton also was the one who appreciates the input from others. He was always asking questions to anyone who can give input considered. “Would you visit our distribution centers? After that, please tell me, what needs to be improved.” “How do you think of our new store concept? What will we do Walmart?” This shows that Walton’s very open to feedback and even criticism directed at him, while quite a lot of leaders feel allergic to criticism of others. This simple act turned out to have a real impact for customers and partners.

Sam Walton was not a man who likes to waste time and energy. The suggestions from customers not only accommodated without a clear follow-up, but he wrote in a notebook he always carried, or recorded in the cassette. After that he took the action based on that advice. This action that ultimately proved his concern for the customer.

Walton also a leader who close to the employees. Often vanity top executives has led to the collapse of a company. They tend to build a distance (gap) with front-line employees. The bigger of the company, usually the greater the possibility of these leaders have lost contact with the front-line employees. But not so with Sam Walton, he was a leader who humble and modest. Throughout his life, he often visited the front lines of every store. Sam Walton’s leadership style is close to the employee coloring corporate culture of Wal-Mart today.

Sam Walton’s success secret
Walton’s leadership success according by Michael Bergdahl, author of The 10 Rules of Sam Walton, is that Walton is a person who has a vision, never give up, and optimistic. He is also constantly learning from its competitors but doing its by own way, he does not like to follow the style of others. Sam Walton was also the man who dared to take risks, even though he admitted that the first 90% he always failed when taking a risk. For Sam Walton, his failure is a lesson to achieve success.

In the book Successful Business Leaders of Investor’s Business Daily, there are some secrets of Walton’s success that we can learn, namely:

1. Constantly trying to improve
If we ask him about the way to run business, then he is a man who was never satisfied. For example, in 1966, Walton has five Wal-mart stores in a few small shops, and five shops were producing an income of $ 10 million in sales per year. But, he continued to look for ways to improve and expand his business and make it more efficient. He began to read about computers and even register in the school IBM Corp., and hire some computer experts. Initial emphasis on the technology turned out to be one of the key development of Wal-Mart business in the future.

2. Happy employees mean happy customers
Walton admitted that initially he was so stingy and did not give good pay to his employees. But eventually he realized that he should give a larger payment to his employees because they are considered as “business partners”. According to Walton, who treated the way management is the same business partner in a way that applied to the consumer. If the business partner treats their customers well then the consumer will come again and again … therein lies the advantage and business success.

Walton also often visited his shop and asked for their opinions, especially employees who are on the front lines, those who actually faced and talking with customers, as people who know the real situation on the ground.

3. Learning from competitors
Walton always tirelessly to investigate its competitors. He will walk into Kmart with a yellow pad or tape recorder. He saw the thirst of goods, goods on display and how the store does business. Walton did not learn of its competitors because wanted to beat their price, but he LEARNING from these competitors.

4. Doing things with own way
Walton has a principle, that we can learn from its competitors, but do not follow them completely. We must find opportunities to do so in different ways.

5. Self-criticism with the worst criticism
According to Walton, one of reason why Wal-Mart could still standing is because he and the store managers to consistently dared to criticize their selves. If you make a mistake, it will be recognized, discussed and seek know how to fix them.

6. Having fun
Walton run his business very seriously, but he was not afraid to laugh at himself. In the schedule of meetings with his managers, he sometimes invited unexpected guests, such as Executive Chief General Electic Jack Welch or a well-known singer. Annual meeting of shareholders packed in the form of golf, tennis, or sightseeing. According to Walton, we need to relax the tension, have fun and always show enthusiasm.

7. Do what you love
Enthusiasm will be easy to do if we love what we do. Walton’s retail world is enjoying. For the love of his work, then working long hours is not an obstacle. He often began his day in the office at 04.30. According to Walton, if we love our jobs, then we will always try to do the best that can be done, so that the people around us will feel the passion that we have.

Good luck of Sam Walton was because he loved the business. He’s tireless search for new ways to serve customers. As the growth of the company, he also grew to respect the people who realize that growth. Sam knew, the customer is everything to the company. He applied this belief in every action. And in doing this, he left the trail to follow all the people.

the success of Sam Walton to raise Wal-Mart had it enjoyed until the end. In 1992, he died because of cancer and gain the predicate as the richest man in the world. He also won awards from the President of the United States in the form of Medal of Freedom. If Sam Walton were alive today, his performance could be paired with successful entrepreneurs other world level such as Warren Buffet or Bill Gates. We can learn how Wal-Mart was elected to the Company’s eleven ranked the world’s most amazing version of Fortune magazine.