Speak First
Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, traced his leadership abilities back to a simple practice he developed in college: "speak to people coming down the sidewalk before they speak to you."
Whether he knew their name or not, he greeted them. "Before long," Walton writes, "I probably knew more students than anybody in the university, and they recognized me and considered me their friend."
Years later, running his retail empire, he asked his employees to make a pledge: whenever they came within ten feet of a customer, they would look them in the eye, greet them, and ask if they could help. "Now I know some of you are just naturally shy," Walton said, "and maybe don't want to bother folks. But if you'll go along with me on this, it would, I'm sure, help you become a leader."
The practice, he believed, would help their personalities develop, make them more outgoing, and open doors to advancement. "It will do wonders for you," he promised. Leadership, in Walton's view, wasn't about grand gestures or natural charisma—it was about the simplest thing of all: speaking first.