How do you lead a team of 2.1 million people? Whether you're managing five people or fifty, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon's leadership principles apply at any scale. He joins Glue Guys to share his journey from unloading trucks at Walmart as a teenager to leading a company that makes $1.7 billion in sales daily, serving 240 million customers weekly across 10,500 stores. Doug shares leadership lessons from Sam Walton and from the weekly basketball game he’s played in for four decades. We learn about leading for the long term, being a servant leader, and leading with humility even as your influence expands.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Show Notes:

(00:00:00) Welcome to Glue Guys

(00:01:17) Doug's Early Career at Walmart

(00:05:48) Walmart's Culture and Values

(00:08:37) Gratitude and Vulnerability in Leadership

(00:18:13) Balancing Work and Family

(00:19:38) Creating Culture at Scale

(00:22:38) Surprise Visits and Sam Walton's Legacy

(00:23:34) Servant Leadership at Walmart

(00:25:29) Handling Pressure and Focusing on Inputs

(00:28:18) Risk-Taking and Decision-Making

(00:31:53) Leadership Qualities and Team Dynamics

(00:37:33) Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

(00:41:31) Recognizing the Unsung Heroes

Episode 191: When Waiting Gets Hard