Walton was not only fearless of the unknown, he agressively pursued it!
The implication of the unknown is the understanding that we don't have all the answers. For some, this hinders them because they're afraid of where the answers may lead them - Sam Walton wasn't afraid.
Walton knew that if his dream for Wal-Mart (WMT) were to come true, the unknown would have to be embraced. The reason is because in any business, where we are and where we want to go, has a chasm between them. If we saw clearly how to get somewhere, there wouldn't be such a thing as an entrepreneur or business leader.
There's a big difference in knowing where we want to go and how we're going to get there. While it's imperative that we absolutely know where we're going, there is no way of knowing the best ways to get there until we get onto the path. That involves taking steps that bring us to paths we've never been on.
The unknown is talking about pioneering; going where someone hasn't gone before.
A path of practical steps and strategies is not one that is as simple as it would seem. Those that want to keep a distance between them and their competitors always must travel into the practical unknown to find what's out there that will bring the type of execution a vision needs to come into reality.
The underlying element of traveling this path is fearlessness. This isn't talking about the absence of the "feeling" of fear, but rather going on in spite of how we may feel.
This isn't something that is static either. It's not like you're walking on a path that suddenly illumines before you from one discovery. It's a continuous series of discoveries that come from an endless search to find the best ways to bring about the company vision.
We need to keep our courage as we travel this path, and be thick-skinned. This path is one that will never go away and never end. Those that walk it must do it with the understanding that there will never be "the" one answer, but a continuous unveiling of answers.
Walton understood that he and the company were engaged in a lifelong pursuit.
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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The implication of the unknown is the understanding that we don't have all the answers. For some, this hinders them because they're afraid of where the answers may lead them - Sam Walton didn't care [Read More]
Tracked on: June 14, 2007 7:07 PM | Permalink to Trackback