Walton spent much of his career largely unnoticed by the public or the press
With so much being written about Wal-Mart in the press, you'd think that Sam Walton had coverage all his life and was a huge business celebrity. On the contrary, a large part of his business career he spent in relative obscurity.
As a matter of fact, it wasn't until Forbes declared him the richest man in America in 1985 that his name became known on the national and international scene.
In reality Walton was happy with, and I think cultivated this role for himself and the store. He was so underrated and thought of irrelvant to his competitors, that 
when they finally knew who he was and the threat he represented, for Walton, it was just a mopping up operation. The game was over and he and Wal-Mart had won.
If it wasn't for the Forbes article, the lack of publicity would have continued on indefinitely. People knew in general about Walton, but really didn't have him or the store fixed in their minds as anything.
Now what I think is surprising in this is that even though I think Walton cultivated this, it wasn't necessarily as a strategy, but simply who he was as a human being. The press always tried to make a big deal about Walton's lifestyle, and he would find it humorous when they would think it's news because he liked to drive around in an old truck. There was nothing more to that than it was what he preferred and practically used for himself.
What's very interesting to me about his is that when you consider Richard Branson and his style, it's the exact opposite, and yet has worked for him. He'll do anything to get in the public's eye to promote the Virgin brand.
Business leadership success comes through many diverse personalities and styles. It is being true to who we are and our purpose that in the end determines our success. Walton was all of that.
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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