If you ask me to list and describe three important lessons you can learn from the business life of Sam Walton, here are the three lessons:
1. Be passionately committed to achieving success
2.Be different and challenge the status quo.
3. Appreciate and recognize people for their efforts and results.
The three important lessons which I can learn from Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton are actually from the ten lessons mentioned in the book “The Ten Rules of Sam Walton“.
1. Be passionately committed to achieving success
“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” – Unknown
I strongly believe that if you want to achieve success in whatever endeavor, commitment and passion are two of the key factors are a must.
Followed closely is a clearly defined goal.
As you know you are going to encounter rough patches along the way every now and then while you are striving to make it. Your patience and drive would be challenged and tested.
It is your steadfast passion and commitment to achieve success which can keep you going no matter what.
These two elements, commitment and passion are going to accompany you through thick and thin.
Another important ingredient of achieving is setting a well-defined vision or goal.
When you set your goal, you are setting a definite direction and purpose of your plan.
In other words, your mind is well focused on what you want to do. Goals are great motivators to get you into action.
As mentioned in the book “The Ten Rules of Sam Walton”, the key to being successful at whatever you want to accomplish in life is “What you think about most of the time is what you become.” How true indeed.
If you really want to achieve your goals, you need to put your time, stamina, and effort. It is said that what you think about most of the time is what you will become.
2. Be different and challenge the status quo
“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one’s ideas, to take a calculated risk – and to act.” – Andre Malraux
Like entrepreneur Sam Walton, I do strongly believe in taking risks. It is true that the greatest risk is not taking risk.
We should try avoiding the tried and true path which has been taken by many. Instead we should veer off the path of least resistance, and instead head off to the uncharted course.
As T.S. Eliot said: “You have to risk going too far to discover just how far you can really go.”
If you really want to stand up and do better for yourself or than others, than you need to take chance and challenge the convention of doing things.
By being different and dare to challenge the status quo, you could often find the
competitive advantage which many have overlooked.
One key reason many are still stuck in the conventional rut or still living a dreary, unfulfilled existences is because they have the fear of change.
They still keep doing the same thing over and over, yet expect different or better results.
See problems as opportunities. Be creative and be bold enough to leave your comfort zone.
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide
3. Appreciate and recognize people for their efforts and results
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire
The third important lessons I learn from the business life of Sam Walton is appreciate and recognize people for their efforts and results.
Personally ask yourself. Don’t you just feel good and happy, after someone pays you a compliment or shows appreciation?
The simple act of giving honest compliments makes others feel appreciated, and it somehow comes back to us multiplied.
We feel good too, isn’t it? Giving compliments and praise is a positive action. Another thing is when people feel how much you care about them as individuals, they’ll reciprocate.
I am sure you have heard or read this popular quote by Publilius Syrus: “Friends may be admonished privately, but praise them openly.”
Yes, you should openly praised those who deserved it. You see people crave recognition and that they need to feel a sense of achievement as individual.