What is the key to influence? How do leaders have the opportunity to leverage authority? Can that influence help out in the work environment? Can it help extend even into personal lives and values? As a leader, how important is it to have mentors in your life? What is the most important thing in a mentor-mentee relationship? How important is it to have influence/buy-in as a leader as opposed to positional authority? How can a young leader begin building their influence among their peers?

Those are some of the important questions we are going to be talking about today in this podcast with Mike Duke retired president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. During his 19 years with the company, including a five-year tenure as CEO, Duke delivered strong financial results and broadened Walmart’s commitment to lead some of the most pressing social and environmental issues of our time. He has served on the board of directors of The Consumer Goods Forum, the executive committee of Business Roundtable and is on the executive board of Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business. He also serves on the board of advisors for the University of Arkansas and the advisory board of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing, China. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Duke earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1971 and now serves as a member of the institution’s advisory board.

If you enjoyed this podcast, check out these great resources for young leaders!

Leadership, Influence, and Authority - An Interview with Mike Duke