Sam Walton and Wal-Mart Case

Sam Walton and Wal-Mart

1. In terms of leadership styles and characteristics, how would you describe Sam Walton?

Sam Walton has demonstrated the characteristics of a good Strategic Leadership. He is an archetypal entrepreneur who has a vision, never give up, and optimistic. He established and articulated the vision that has been central to Walmart’s success: passing on cost saving from suppliers and operation efficiencies to customers in the form of everyday low prices.

Sam is a leader with an innovative vision, started his own company and made it into the leader in discount retailing that it is today. Through his savvy, and sometimes unusual, business practices, he led the company forward for success. He is also constantly learning from its competitors but doing it’s by own way, he does not like to follow the style of others.

Sam Walton was also the man who has the commitment to his vision and business model by actions and words. He dared to take risks, although of his failures when taking a risk, he has seen them as a lesson to achieve success to be the world’s largest retailer.

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. Initial emphasis on the technology turned out to be one of the key development of Wal-Mart business in the future.

Sam was able to identify and articulate the business model that his company will use to attain its vision. He has the perspective required to make sure that the various strategies fit together into congruent whole and form a valid compelling business model. He set his business model in a flexible way to try new ideas. He successfully combined emergent strategy with his vision to create a potent organization and formula; Sam opened his own distribution warehouse which is an idea that he copied.

He is a model business leader who has changed the way big business is done.

2. Why do you think Wal-Mart has been able to grow into the world’s largest retailer in a relatively short space of time? is there a