The Wal-Mart Decade: How a New Era of Leaders Turned Sam Walton’s Legacy into the World’s #1 Company was destined for publication. It was merely a matter of when it would be written and by whom. In fact, I am astonished that it wasn’t printed long prior to this. Wal-Mart is so much more than the smiling faces of the senior citizens who greet you with open arms at the front of the store, it is more than the bouncing Smiley Face continually decreasing costs in each and every aisle, and it is certainly much more than a common discount store chain headquartered in the little Arkansas town of Bentonville. Wal-Mart is the real thing. It’s here to stay. It’s a world-class company.

There is much to discover from this corporate giant that lately moved into the #1 spot on the Fortune 500 forward of GM, Exxon Oil, Ford Motor, and GE. Do you think Wal-Mart merely stumbled into that coveted place? Think about this:

• Wal-Mart has revenues of $246 Billion
• Wal-Mart has 1 million 300 thousand employees
• Wal-Mart has mastered logistics and the supply chain
• Wal-Mart shares its strategic vision with each and each and every worker
• Wal-Mart leaders never relaxation on their laurels
• Wal-Mart continually find methods to decrease expenses while enhancing the shopping experience for its customers
• Wal-Mart is the first company actually to head both the Fortune 500 checklist of American companies and that magazine’s checklist of Most Admired Companies and
• the Wal-Mart management group has devised and then implemented methods for fast but prudent development.

The greatest strength in the Wal-Mart arsenal is the fact that their Culture is every thing. It’s tough to argue with the reality of Wal-Mart’s continued efficiency.

I think it is important to understand that the writer of this guide is not a devoted Wal-Mart fan trying to recruit extra followers for the retail giant. Robert Slater was a reporter for Time Magazine for 21 many years. He is the best-promoting writer of Jack Welch and the GE Way and has also written acclaimed publications about IBM and Cisco. He probed deeply into the Wal-Mart organization from top to bottom, from Bentonville to China and past. This guide offers a clean and fascinating appear at this distinctive company-as it was and as it has become-with an immediacy and insider’s feel unrivaled because Sam Walton’s personal memoir, Made In America.

Sam Walton set the bar high for his long term leaders. He created a distinctive tradition based on three basic beliefs:

Walton was also completely committed to what he characterized as his 10 Rules of Company … each of which is explained in detail in the guide. The writer allocates three of 14 chapters to “The Founder and His Legacy.” He wisely devotes the remainder of his guide to explaining how the new management group devised and then implemented methods for great development.

There really have been three quite various intervals of Wal-Mart’s development from a Ben Franklin franchise (opened in Bentonville as the Walton five and 10 in March of 1951) to the global retailing giant it is today. The three intervals consist of the Sam Walton Many years until his death in 1992, the David Glass Many years (1992-2000), and the Lee Scott Many years (2000-Current).

For many years, many individuals asked about Wal-Mart the same query that other people asked about Southwest Airlines: “What’s going to occur after HE leaves?” With all due respect to both Sam Walton and Herb Kelleher, their respective organizations have done just fine. Maybe that is the ultimate test of leadership: a heritage which endures after the leader is either gone or much less involved. In this exceptionally insightful guide, Slater explains how and why such a heritage guides and inspires the whole Wal-Mart organization.

Much more than one hundred business guide critiques written by Harry K. Jones are accessible at http://www.AchieveMax.com/books/.

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Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and advisor for AchieveMax®, Inc., a firm specializing in customized-created keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has made presentations ranging from leadership to worker retention and time management to tension management for a number of industries, such as schooling, financial, authorities, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. He can be reached at 800-886-2MAX or by going to http://www.AchieveMax.com.