Details Count
When it came to a specific vision and purpose for the company, Sam Walton had it down pat, but that didn't make him an impractical leader. On the contrary he was legendary for following up and remembering details on all sorts of things he did and people he hired.
One example is when he would in the early days fly and look around for good locations for the business to be placed at. Here's how he commented on it:
"I'd get down low, turn my plane up on its side, and fly right over a town... There's another good reason I don't like jets. You can't get down low enough to really tell what's going on, the way I could in my little planes. Until we had 500 stores, or at 
least 400 or so, I kept up with every real estate deal we made and got to view most locations before we signed any kind of commitment."
In a moment of humor he called this type of style "Management by walking and flying around".
The thought that comes to mind my mind when I read this is if it was part of the lesson he learned at his first store where he lost the lease after building up a strong business. Something like that does tend to make you a detailed person.
A strong business leader will understand and embrace the visionary side of a business along with the operations and practical sides. Those that have this ability are extraordinarily strong business successes.
In this case, I'm not talking about understanding every single piece of practical information that goes into operations, that would be impossible and counterproductive, rather I mean that we need to understand enough that we can make informed decisions that make sense for the company.
Another key in this is that Walton especially did this in major areas that had a direct impact on the bottom line in a big way ... like the location of a store, or progress of a potential leader within the company. That's the types of areas we need to have a detailed handle on.
Sam Walton: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Business
Sam Walton - Retail Success Story
Sam Walton: King Of The Discounters
Sam Walton: Great From the Start
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