83 Lessons We Can Learn from Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart
Discover powerful leadership lessons from Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart. Founders and executives share real-world insights on customer focus, frontline leadership, and adapting at scale—practical takeaways for building resilient, people-first organizations.
Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart, has led one of the world’s largest and most complex organizations through a period of profound transformation—without losing sight of the people who make it run every day.
From accelerating Walmart’s shift into e-commerce and omnichannel retail to investing heavily in frontline wages, training, and technology, McMillon’s leadership shows how scale can be a strength when paired with empathy, speed, and operational discipline.
His commitment to listening deeply—to store associates, customers, and communities—has shaped decisions that helped Walmart adapt faster than many legacy retailers. Whether reimagining stores as fulfillment hubs, modernizing supply chains, or empowering teams to act locally, McMillon has proven that meaningful change starts on the frontline.
To understand the leadership lessons behind Walmart’s evolution, we asked 83 founders, CEOs, and operators from diverse industries:
What is one powerful lesson you learned from Doug McMillon (CEO of Walmart), and how has it shaped your approach to business, leadership, or growth?
Their insights reveal practical takeaways on people-first leadership, adaptability at scale, customer obsession, accountability, and leading through change without losing trust.
Together, these lessons offer a blueprint for leaders navigating fast-moving markets—whether you’re building a startup, managing transformation in a legacy business, or scaling operations while staying grounded in what truly matters.
83 Powerful Insights Doug McMillon Teaches About Leading at Scale Without Losing People
1. Don’t Push Technology Without Bringing People Along
Watching what Doug McMillon does at Walmart, I realized you can’t just push new tech without thinking about the people it affects.
So when I brought in automation at Techcare, I made sure to check in with the team daily, not just send emails. Nobody panicked and things actually moved faster. It just worked better that way.
– Oliver Aleksejuk, Managing Director, Techcare
2. People-First Decisions Win When Pressure Is Highest
We learned to lead with people first decisions when pressure hits. McMillon highlights wages, education, and associate support in public remarks. In agencies, pressure tempts leaders to burn teams to save timelines. We now protect workload health as a business asset.
For example, we stopped rewarding late night heroics and fixed planning instead. We added capacity buffers and clearer acceptance criteria before work starts. Clients got more reliable delivery and our team stayed engaged. People first choices improved performance because burnout stopped stealing attention.
– Jason Hennessey, CEO, Hennessey Digital
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3. Listening First Unlocks Better Ideas Than Leading Alone
Doug McMillon said something about listening first that stuck with me. When my team at Aura Funerals went through big changes, I decided to just try it. I stopped talking and started hearing what everyone on the team was worried about. It wasn’t always comfortable, but the ideas we came up with were things I never would have thought of alone.
– Paul Jameson, Founder & Executive Chairman, Aura Funerals
4. Adaptability Matters More Than a Perfect Plan
I admire how Doug McMillon adjusts on the fly. At Bell Fire and Security, it’s the same deal. A new technology or a single regulation can wreck a project’s timeline. I tell my team to be ready to change the plan. It’s not about having a perfect plan, it’s about being ready to adjust. That ability to roll with the punches is what keeps our service quality high for clients.
– Lisa Clark, Director, Bell Fire and Security
5. True Leadership Means Owning Problems Head-On
One powerful lesson I have learned from Doug McMillon is to take clear responsibility when issues arise and address them directly. As CMO, I applied that mindset when a critical error in our SMS platform put us at risk of a $10,000 regulatory fine.
Rather than deflect, I gathered the facts, aligned every stakeholder, and produced a detailed corrective report. We communicated transparently, implemented fixes, and avoided any penalties. That experience confirmed how accountability builds trust and speeds real solutions.
– Maksym Zakharko, Chief Marketing Officer / Marketing Consultant, maksymzakharko.com
6. When the Plan Stops Working, Be Brave Enough to Scrap It
Watching Walmart dive into e-commerce under Doug McMillon reminded me of a tough call at my SaaS job. We scrapped our whole roadmap in a week because of new competitor data. It was scary, but it stopped our customer churn cold. Sometimes you just have to throw out the plan when it’s not working anymore.
– Cyrus Partow, CEO, ShipTheDeal
7. Progress Requires Pushing Through the Awkward Phase of Change
Seeing how Doug McMillon handled Walmart’s move to e-commerce showed me you just have to push through the awkward parts of change. I took that to heart when we moved our real estate assessments online. It wasn’t an instant fix, but we started reaching more people and the whole process got faster for our clients.
– Carl Fanaro, President, NOLA Buys Houses
8. Being Present as a Leader Prevents Bigger Problems Later
Doug McMillon’s leadership style makes sense. It’s about being present. Instead of staying in my office, I make a point to walk the floor and talk with my installers and engineers. Now they tell me about safety issues before they become big problems. They’re just more willing to speak up, which is what happens when you actually show up.
– Lara Woodham, Director, Rowlen Boiler Services
9. Combine Customer Obsession With Fast, Data-Driven Adaptation
One powerful lesson I’ve learned from Doug McMillon is the importance of staying relentlessly customer-focused while adapting quickly to change. Watching how he led Walmart through the digital transformation — balancing e-commerce growth with in-store innovation — showed me that even the largest organizations must think like startups.
In SEO, I’ve applied this mindset by constantly refining strategies based on user behavior and search trends. For instance, when voice search started gaining traction, I shifted clients’ keyword strategies toward more conversational queries, which led to significant increases in organic visibility.
Another lesson from McMillon is the value of empowering teams to make data-driven decisions. He emphasizes listening to both employees and customers — a principle I’ve mirrored in my own agency. I once worked with a retail client who resisted changing their outdated content strategy.
Instead of pushing my approach, I gathered insights from their customer service data, showing what questions people actually asked. Aligning SEO content with real customer needs tripled their click-through rates. McMillon’s leadership reminds me that real growth happens when you combine empathy with innovation.
– Brandon Leibowitz, Owner, SEO Optimizers
10. Frontline Feedback Makes Every Launch Stronger
I was thinking about how Doug McMillon emphasizes listening to frontline staff. When our team launched the new marketing campaign, the sales people gave us constant feedback. We kept making small changes, which helped us catch problems early. Taking advice from the people who actually talk to customers made the final launch go so much smoother.
– Andrew Dunn, Vice President of Marketing, Zentro Internet
11. Lead Transformation by Protecting People While Rebuilding the Business
One powerful lesson from Doug McMillon is how to lead transformational change by combining servant leadership and an operationally pragmatic vision: anchor decisions in clear values, protect people through disruption, and move fast to reconfigure existing assets into new business models.
McMillon’s push to make stores part of an omnichannel fulfillment system — including bold moves like acquiring Jet.com to buy digital speed and experimenting with store-based fulfillment — shows how legacy operations can be repurposed rather than discarded, turning a potential liability into a strategic advantage.
The payoff became visible during the pandemic when Walmart’s online channel scaled dramatically (e-commerce sales jumped sharply — roughly +74% in early 2020 as consumers shifted to online grocery), validating an omnichannel-first approach to retail.
Applied to a corporate-training context at Edstellar, the lesson translated into treating classroom instructors and training centers as fulfillment hubs for blended learning: instructor-led sessions became high-impact local experiences, while digital platforms delivered scale, measurement, and personalization.
That dual approach preserved frontline expertise, accelerated deployment of new programs, and kept learners supported through change — a practical way to lead transformation that centers people while moving the business forward.
– Arvind Rongala, CEO, Edstellar
12. Move First When the Market Shifts
What I took from Doug McMillon at Walmart is simple: be the first to move when things shift. I remember reading how he pushed Walmart into e-commerce right before the lockdowns, which made all the difference. That’s why I’m always pushing my team at Lusha. We don’t wait for the market to change, we act first. We build new sales channels while other companies are just watching.
– Yarden Morgan, Director of Growth, Lusha
13. Fast Adaptation Starts With Constant Team Communication
Doug McMillon’s approach to adapting quickly really stuck with me. When e-commerce trends changed, we had to move PlayAbly’s core product. I just made sure we talked constantly, asking everyone for input. That’s why we got new features out the door faster and beat a competitor to market last year.
– John Cheng, CEO, PlayAbly.AI
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14. Spot What’s Coming Next and Act Before Others Do
What I learned from Doug McMillon is pretty simple. I watched how he pushed Walmart into e-commerce instead of fighting it. We’re seeing the same thing with digital marketing in healthcare. The companies that move early get the advantage. My take is to spot what’s coming next before anyone else and take some calculated risks while others are still watching.
Josiah Lipsmeyer, Founder, Plasthetix Plastic Surgery Marketing
15. Being Available and Listening Builds Stronger Teams
Watching Doug McMillon taught me something. Just being around and actually listening to people works. I started leaving my door open and asking folks how their week was. Suddenly people weren’t so quiet in meetings, and we started hitting our deadlines. Fewer people quit too. If you’re a boss, try being there for an hour every week. It makes a difference.
– Justin Carpenter, Founder, Jacksonville Maids
16. Scale Empathy and Innovation at the Same Time
One powerful lesson learned from Doug McMillon is that long-term relevance is built by staying obsessively close to customers while still having the courage to reinvent at scale. That mindset became especially visible during Walmart’s rapid shift toward omnichannel retail, where massive investments were made in e-commerce, automation, and supply chain technology without losing focus on price accessibility.
Under this approach, Walmart grew U.S. e-commerce sales by more than 20% year-over-year in recent periods, even as many traditional retailers struggled to adapt. McMillon’s leadership shows that transformation works best when strategy is grounded in frontline reality—listening to customer behavior, empowering operators, and modernizing systems in parallel.
In large, complex organizations, progress does not come from choosing between efficiency and empathy; it comes from designing operations that scale empathy through technology and disciplined execution.
– Anupa Rongala, CEO, Invensis Technologies
17. Trust Grows When Leaders Listen to Their Teams
Hearing Doug McMillon talk about listening to his frontline crew hit home. I started asking my real estate team how to help homeowners in tough spots, and suddenly we were closing more deals. People actually trusted us. Now, whenever a negotiation gets sticky, asking the team for their input is our first move. It just works.
– Brandi Simon, Owner, TX Home Buying Pros
18. Empower Teams to Experiment and Learn From Feedback
Watching how Doug McMillon ran things at Walmart made me realize I needed to let my tutors experiment. At UrbanPro, I just told them to listen to student feedback and try new approaches. Some attempts failed, but the ones that worked made our service better and students stuck around longer. It changed the whole vibe on our platform.
– Rakesh Kalra, Founder and CEO, UrbanPro Tutor Jobs
19. Keep the Business Fresh by Constantly Trying New Ideas
I took a lesson from Walmart’s Doug McMillon: don’t wait for a slow month to try new things. So at Zinfandel Grille, we started rolling out new dishes, just like Walmart is always adding new products.
Some were hits, some weren’t, but our regulars started coming in more often. Keeping things fresh has made our income a lot more predictable.
– Allen Kou, Owner and Operator, Zinfandel Grille
20. Consistency in Leadership Reduces Uncertainty and Builds Trust
One thing that really stuck with me about leadership is that consistency beats intensity every time. Big speeches or sudden changes don’t actually move a team much in the long run but steady behavior does.
I applied this by making sure our priorities stayed visible, even when things got tough. When people see leaders changing direction every week, trust starts to erode but when the priority stays the same, execution gets way better.
This lesson matters because leadership isn’t about getting people pumped up for a minute t’s about reducing uncertainty for them. Anyone who’s in a leadership role can use this by repeating their priorities in a calm way and acting the same way on the good days and the bad days.
– Nikita Sherbina, Co-Founder & CEO, AIScreen Digital Signage Software
21. Make Tough Decisions Without Losing Empathy
We learned that strong leaders make hard choices without losing empathy. McMillon shows that discipline and care can coexist in one decision. We apply that by holding pricing integrity while staying human with facilities under pressure. We never want savings that come from cutting corners on quality.
For example, we refused a cheaper batch of surgical supplies when documentation felt incomplete. We explained the risk to the facility and offered a vetted alternative with full traceability. We also absorbed part of the cost difference to protect their budget. That decision cost margin and built long term trust with the hospital.
– Ivan Rodimushkin, Founder, CEO, XS Supply
22. Real Speed Comes From Listening to the Frontline
Watching Doug McMillon, it’s clear he actually listens to store employees. Their feedback isn’t just for show, it shapes the big decisions. That’s why Walmart could move fast when logistics got messy.
They trusted the people on the ground. I’ve seen this with global consulting teams too. When we stop and hear from everyone, the plan works better because people are actually on board.
– Karl Threadgold, Managing Director, Threadgold Consulting
23. Treat Scale as a Responsibility, Not a Brag
We learned to treat scale as a responsibility, not a brag. McMillon manages scale by simplifying priorities and empowering operators. We apply that by simplifying our service menu and strengthening ownership. Less complexity reduces mistakes and protects client outcomes.
A real example came when we cut five low margin services from our offer. We retrained the team on fewer, deeper capabilities tied to revenue. Quality rose and clients felt the difference in speed and clarity. Scale worked because we made the business easier to run.
– Marc Bishop, Director, Wytlabs
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24. Ground Big Strategy in Frontline Reality
One powerful lesson learned from Doug McMillon is the discipline of staying relentlessly close to the frontline while making decisions at massive scale. Under McMillon’s leadership, Walmart doubled down on listening to store associates and customers during its digital transformation, using real-world feedback to guide investments in e-commerce, supply chain automation, and workforce upskilling.
For example, Walmart’s rapid expansion of curbside pickup and same-day delivery was not driven by boardroom assumptions, but by observing how customers actually shopped and how associates executed daily operations.
This approach paid off: Walmart reported over 20% growth in e-commerce sales in multiple recent quarters, even as many retailers struggled to adapt. McMillon’s example reinforces a simple but powerful leadership truth—strategy becomes effective only when grounded in frontline reality, where customer expectations and operational constraints intersect.
– Arvind Rongala, CEO, Invensis Learning
25. Adapt Fast or Risk Being Left Behind
Watching Doug McMillon at Walmart taught me something simple: adapt fast or get left behind. When Magic Hour was just starting, our customers kept changing what they wanted.
Seeing Walmart push hard into delivery and digital made me realize we had to keep testing new ideas instead of getting too attached to one plan.
– Runbo Li, CEO, Magic Hour
26. The Smartest Solutions Come From the Front Line
Doug McMillon said the smartest people are always on the front line, and he was right. When I was in Hong Kong, I stopped telling people what to do and started asking my team what was slowing them down. They pointed out a few steps in our process I had never seen. We fixed them, and their output went up. That simple act of listening made all the difference.
– David Cornado, Partner, French Teachers Association of Hong Kong
27. Relentless Communication Keeps Growing Teams Aligned
Expanding Dirty Dough across the country taught me one thing. You have to talk about the vision constantly, or your teams will start pulling in different directions. It reminded me of watching Doug McMillon at Walmart.
He communicates the plan relentlessly, which keeps everyone aligned even at a massive scale. So if you’re growing, my advice is simple: don’t just focus on the numbers. Keep telling people where you’re going and why.
– Bennett Maxwell, CEO, Franchise KI
28. Choose Speed Over Perfection in Times of Change
Watching Doug McMillon at Walmart taught me one thing: in tech, you either adapt fast or you’re out. When he pushed the company online, the rule was quick decisions, not perfect ones. We took that to heart at Tutorbase, sometimes building and shipping a new feature a client asked for in just a couple of weeks. You have to listen, because in SaaS, what customers want can completely change overnight.
– Sandro Kratz, Founder, Tutorbase
29. Customer Loyalty Is Built Through Consistency, Not Transactions
Doug McMillon emphasizes the importance of staying customer-centric, no matter the size of your business. His approach of ensuring every decision reflects the customer’s needs has greatly influenced my leadership.
For example, we once introduced a loyalty program based on customer feedback which significantly boosted our retention rate. This experience taught me that customer loyalty is built through consistency and not transactions.
His principles reinforced the idea that business success comes from truly understanding and responding to customer expectations. By prioritizing their needs, we have built a more meaningful connection with our customers.
I also learned that loyalty is not just about offering rewards, but about making customers feel valued. This customer-first mindset has been a key driver of our long-term growth.
– Ender Korkmaz, CEO, Heat&Cool
30. Invest in the Frontline Because That’s Where Strategy Succeeds or Fails
The most powerful lesson I take from Doug McMillon is this: invest in the frontline even when it hurts in the short term, because that’s where your strategy either works or dies. When you run a big operation, it’s tempting to optimize spreadsheets first and “fix people issues later.” He flipped that. He treated associate capability, pay, tools, and morale as core infrastructure not a side project.
A concrete example: early in his CEO tenure, Walmart was dealing with messy stores and low morale. McMillon pushed for higher pay and better training pathways for hourly associates, including a multi year investment announced in 2015 even though the market punished Walmart when guidance was cut, wiping out billions in market value in hours.
The point wasn’t to win a news cycle. It was to rebuild execution: cleaner stores, better service, higher retention, and a base strong enough to support modernization (digital, supply chain, automation) without breaking operations.
How I apply it as a CEO: if customer experience is slipping, I don’t start by buying another dashboard. I start by asking what the frontline is missing clarity, staffing, training, tools, incentives and I fund that first. You can’t out market a weak operating system, and your operating system is your people.
– Kumara Govind, Director, ABL Façade Inspection
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31. Servant Leadership Works Best During Uncertainty
The most powerful lesson I’ve learned from Doug McMillon is the importance of servant leadership, especially through challenging times. During the pandemic, I watched how he empowered his frontline teams to make quick decisions without excessive corporate approvals, which allowed Walmart to adapt rapidly to local conditions.
I’ve applied this in my own business by pushing decision-making authority down to my team members who work directly with homeowners, giving them the autonomy to create customized solutions on the spot. This approach has not only increased our responsiveness but has built incredible trust with clients who appreciate that we can move at the speed of their needs rather than waiting on bureaucratic processes.
– Jeremy Schooler, Founder, Kitsap Home Pro
32. Listening Consistently Leads to Long-Term Improvement
What I took from Doug McMillon was to just listen more. I started weekly feedback sessions with our language association instructors. Their direct input helped us update the online materials much faster. We didn’t see overnight results, but after a while, the meetings got more productive and our course satisfaction scores went up.
– Yoan Amselem, Managing Director, German Cultural Association of Hong Kong
33. Practical Innovation Solves Real Human Problems
One key lesson I have taken from Doug McMillon is the power of practical innovation – not chasing every shiny trend but implementing technology that solves real human problems, as Walmart did by creating a mobile healthcare app for employees who struggled to balance work with appointments in traditional clinics.
At Hudson Valley Cash Buyers, we’ve developed a digital diagnostic tool that lets homeowners photograph their property issues through their phone, which then routes them to appropriate tradespeople based on true need, cutting response times in half.
That blend of empathetic problem-solving with targeted tech has genuinely transformed how we support stressed homeowners navigating repairs while juggling jobs and demanding family schedules.
– Nicolas Martucci, Owner, Hudson Valley Cash Buyers
34. Adjust the Plan When Learning Outcomes Matter Most
Watching Doug McMillon at Walmart showed me that things work better when leaders are willing to adjust. I remember how he pushed digital tools that changed how stores operated. I do the same thing in teacher training. When a new approach isn’t working, I don’t stick to the plan. I listen and try something else. The students end up learning more, which is the whole point.
– Carmen Jordan Fernandez, Academic Director, The Spanish Council of Singapore
35. Customer Obsession Starts With Real Conversations
I’ve always admired how Doug McMillon demonstrated that customer-obsession means actually listening, not just talking about it–he’s famous for spending time in stores, walking the aisles, and asking frontline employees what customers really need.
That lesson hit home for me when I started taking my twin boys with me to meet homeowners; through their innocent questions and observations, I realized families weren’t just selling houses–they were looking for someone who genuinely cared about their next chapter.
Now, I make it a priority to sit down with every homeowner face-to-face, often at their kitchen table, because that’s where the real conversations happen and where I learn what truly matters to them beyond just the transaction.
– Joel Janson, Owner, Sierra Homebuyers
36. Transparency Makes Change Easier to Embrace
Watching Doug McMillon lead taught me something about change. He talks straight about what’s happening and where we’re going. I’ve noticed with our SaaS teams that when I’m upfront about goals and market changes, people get on board faster.
Things just go smoother. Tell your team what’s changing early, then check in with them. They’ll feel like they’re part of it instead of just along for the ride.
– Ibrahim Alnabelsi, VP – New Ventures, Prezlab
37. Move Fast by Fixing Small Issues Before They Grow
Watching Doug McMillon taught me that big operations still need to move fast. We kept our leadership team and clients in the loop on every small tech issue. This meant we could fix things before they broke completely, leading to less downtime and clients who knew we had their back.
– Tom Terronez, CEO, Medix Dental IT
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38. Growth Stays Healthy When Customers Come First
Watching GRIN scale fast taught me something. Things got messy unless we put customers first, which reminded me of how Doug McMillon runs Walmart. We revised our onboarding to get more user feedback, and retention went up. So here’s my take: no matter how quickly you grow, you have to actually listen to your customers and then act on what they say.
– Brandon Brown, CEO, Search Party
39. Build Businesses That Strengthen Communities
Coming from a 30-year career in community development, what I admire most about Doug McMillon is his understanding that corporate success and community well-being are intertwined.
By pushing Walmart to invest in sustainability and local support, he showed that you can create systemic, positive change while also building a stronger business. This is the core of how I approach real estate; I focus on creating win-win solutions that not only help a family but also contribute to the stability of the entire neighborhood.
– Lewis Hammond, Marketing Director, Bright Future Home Buyers
40. Purpose Drives Performance More Than Numbers Alone
Look, Walmart’s Doug McMillon gets it. He’s always talking about why they do what they do, not just what they do. It reminds me of my work at Bay Area House Buyer. When I remind the team we’re helping people through one of the toughest times in their lives, not just closing deals, everyone seems more locked in. So here’s my advice: talk about your purpose as much as you talk about your numbers. It actually works.
– Lawrence Irby, President, Bay Area House Buyer
41. The Best Insights Come From Talking to Real Users
Doug McMillon is always in the stores, talking to cashiers instead of just looking at reports. I took that to heart. When Backlinker AI was getting started, I spent a lot of time talking with our users and found problems the data would never show. Every founder should do this. The real ideas don’t come from your dashboard, they come from talking to the actual people using your product.
– Bennett Heyn, Founder, Backlinker AI
42. Create Space for Open Conversations to Solve Problems
When we were going through stressful changes at Interactive Counselling, we tried something simple: regular check-ins with no agenda. This gave our team a place to bring up concerns without feeling on the spot. People started sharing more, and meetings got more productive. I learned that just listening and being upfront solves most problems and makes everyone feel more connected.
– Amy Mosset, CEO, Interactive Counselling
43. Doing the Right Thing Builds Lasting Loyalty
What I remember about Doug McMillon is how he pushed for higher wages at Walmart. That could have been seen as a crazy move, a financial hit. But he did it because it felt like the right thing to do for the people working there. Every time I’ve faced a similar choice in my own work, taking the harder path because it’s the right thing is what actually earns you loyalty. It’s not the easy route, but it’s the one that counts.
– Ryan Dosenberry, CEO, Crushing REI
44. Involve Users Early to Make Innovation Actually Work
One thing I admire about what Doug McMillon did at Walmart. When they went big on online grocery, he didn’t just build it in a boardroom. He talked directly with shoppers and store employees. That’s why their digital shift actually worked for people. It reminds me of our Superpower platform updates. Getting users involved is what matters. If you’re starting a health-tech company, start talking to your customers now. Don’t wait.
– Max Marchione, Co-Founder, Superpower
45. Frontline Conversations Reveal What Reports Never Will
Doug McMillon went and stocked shelves himself. He would walk into stores and talk to employees before making any big changes. That’s how he found problems you’d never see from a conference room. The lesson is simple. Talk to the people who are actually doing the work. We try to remember that at Awesomely.
– JP Moses, President & Director of Content Awesomely, Awesomely
46. Stay Close to Users to Avoid Losing Touch
I learned from Doug McMillon that you have to stay close to the front lines, even as a CEO. So when I started Superpencil, I made a point to sit with users and sketch alongside them. You see right away where they get stuck. It’s the same idea as McMillon visiting his Walmart stores. Tech leaders need to do this or they just lose touch with what’s actually happening.
– Bell Chen, Founder and CEO, Superpencil (Enlighten Animation Labs)
47. Leadership Discipline Matters More Than Distance
Lessons that I have personally learned from Doug McMillon would include that leaders can never ignore customers and the company’s workers, even if the company has grown to become large in size. To date, Doug McMillon has been emphasizing listening to customers and workplace associates in making significant company decisions.
The most compelling example of this is Walmart’s efforts on everyday low prices side-by-side with improving associate compensation and training. The takeaway here is: It is not about distance in leadership. It is about discipline. When leaders are grounded in the world of feedback and data, as opposed to being in the world of dashboards, they make better decisions.
– Matthew Johnston, Owner, Bug Shockers
48. Simple Listening Creates Immediate Engagement
I heard how Doug McMillon just talks to Walmart customers. Our programs at the Spanish Cultural Association were stuck, so we tried the same thing. We started simple coffee chats with students. That’s when we learned what they actually needed. We changed the courses based on their feedback, and right away, people were more engaged. It turns out just listening is what works. Forget the complicated plans.
– Selene Luk, Customer Care manager, Spanish Cultural Association of Hong Kong
49. Great Leaders Stay Big Without Becoming Distant
One of the most important things that I’ve absorbed from Doug McMillon is the value of leading near or among customers. This is because, as the result of McMillon’s journey from hourly work at Walmart up to being a CEO, he now leads in a way that is influenced by such experiences.
A case in point would be Walmart’s investment in technologies, wages, and training at the store level in recent years. Such investments were not merely about “optics”; rather, they were also a reality-check on the fact that happiness among “frontline workers” has been known to have direct correlations to “customer satisfaction.” The point is that it is possible to be big without being distant.
The best leaders stay grounded in how their business actually runs day to day, because sustainable success comes from fixing real problems where the work happens.
– Andrew Phelps, Owner, San Diego Service Group
50. Humility in Leadership Unlocks Better Decisions
From Doug McMillon, I learned the value of leading with humility. I’ve watched him actively listen in meetings and ask for input from people who don’t usually speak up. He doesn’t pretend to have all the answers.
Seeing that showed me how admitting what you don’t know actually makes your team stronger. Now I make a point to ask my team for their honest thoughts and include them in big decisions, which always leads to better ideas.
– Graham Bennett, COO, Bennett Awards
51. Scale Demands Deeper Awareness, Not Detachment
An important insight I’ve gained from being led by Doug McMillon has been the art of scaling the leadership mold while staying grounded. Being the largest retailer globally is not about having far-sighted vision. It is indeed about comprehending the way choices affect employees, suppliers, and consumers at gigantic scales before small inefficiencies balloon into billion-dollar issues.
A case in point is that of McMillon encouraging the company, Walmart, to make significant investments in employee compensation, development, and technology infrastructure within the stores even as it overhauled e-commerce infrastructure.
This is an area where most CEOs would have considered these as trade-offs. Not for this CEO. Taking care of employees results in cleaner stores, quicker delivery, and greater customer satisfaction, all of which directly contributed to e-commerce growth.
The point here is that size doesn’t provide a reason to remain disengaged. On the contrary, size requires the opposite to happen. The more one can develop an understanding of where the friction points are, the better he will make his strategic moves. McMillon makes it clear that this is what makes giant corporations successfully evolve.
– Fred McGill Jr, Owner, Bray Electrical
52. Innovate Carefully Without Breaking What Already Works
Doug McMillon has it right. You can try new things, but don’t mess with what already works. We added new fabrics to our line last year but kept our best-selling jacket exactly the same. Our regulars noticed and appreciated it. They stick around because they trust us not to ruin the classics they love. It’s a simple balance, really.
– Ben Hathaway, CEO, Wedding Rings UK
53. Embed Core Values to Build Ethical Scale
The biggest lesson I’ve taken from Doug McMillon is that true leadership means embedding your core values into the fabric of the business, no matter how large it gets. It’s one thing for me to run Salt & Light with integrity, but seeing him push for changes like wage increases at a company the size of Walmart reinforced my belief that you don’t have to sacrifice ethics for scale.
It inspires me as I lead my local real estate investors group, where I teach that building a business on a ‘win-win’ foundation is not only possible but is the only sustainable way to succeed.
– Eric Camardelle, Owner, Salt & Light Property Solutions
54. Balance Innovation With Operational Reliability
Doug McMillon’s approach at Walmart always made sense to me. He poured money into digital tools while making sure the supply chain never skipped a beat. That’s the balance. If you’re building AI products, like we are at Fotoria, you can’t just chase new features. You have to keep the service reliable for the users you already have. Growth is useless if it breaks what works.
– Edward Cirstea, Founder, Fotoria
55. Challenge Old Methods to Prove Better Ones
Doug McMillon showed me you have to question how things have always been done. In SEO, that’s a big deal. When I introduced our rapid SEO method, the pushback was immediate. People liked the old way. But now, that method is our entire strategy. If you’re in a field that’s slow to change, you sometimes just have to push for the new approach and prove it works.
– Vlad Ivanov, CEO, Search GAP Method
56. Avoid Comfort Zones by Embracing New Tools
Doug McMillon once told me you can’t get too comfortable in tech. While other teams were stuck with older methods, we took a risk on new CRM tools. The switch wasn’t easy at first, but it made our process more efficient and finally gave us clear numbers to track. That move really paid off for us.
– Branden Shortt, Founder & Product Advisor, The Informr
57. Adapt Faster by Involving the Team Early
When we introduced a voice AI assistant, the team was hesitant. I just started asking people what they thought and tweaked the demos based on their feedback. That’s what Doug McMillon means about adapting to change. Getting their input early and adjusting on the fly made all the difference. People actually use the tool now, which is what matters.
– Ralph Pieczonka, Director, Simple Is Good Inc
58. Listen to Today’s Customers While Building for Tomorrow
What I like about how Doug McMillon leads is he thinks about the future but still pays attention to what customers are saying right now. At my company, Cellphones.ca, we learned that redesigning tools based on actual user feedback works better than chasing trends. Hearing from people directly always beats trying to guess. I tell other founders to just ask customers what they need and then do it.
– Branden Shortt, Founder & Consumer Advocate, Cellphones.ca
59. Change Sticks When Teams Help Shape It
Doug McMillon showed me you can’t just dictate change from above, you have to get through it with your team. When we brought in new tech at Bowpurr, we kept communication open and got our hands dirty, just like he does.
People got more confident and the solutions stuck around longer because the team felt it was theirs. Don’t just announce a new plan. Get them involved early so they own it with you.
– Zubair Ahmed, Owner, BowPurr.com
60. Stop Relying on Reports and Start Talking to the Frontline
Doug McMillon has it right. When I ran a luxury car service, I stopped just reading reports and started talking with the drivers. We’d find small issues on the spot, like a glitch in the booking system. Our customer reviews went up right after that. It’s the most direct way to get the real story.
– Nikita Beriozkin, Director of Sales and Marketing, Blue Sky Limo LLC
61. Standing Still Is the Fastest Way to Fall Behind
Doug McMillon showed me that even a giant like Walmart can’t afford to stand still. Their quick move into e-commerce wasn’t just about keeping up, it was about getting ahead. That’s stuck with me. In my tech work, I’m now paranoid about getting too comfortable. I’m always tweaking something, because staying still feels like moving backward.
– Mehrab HP, Founder, SEO Mode
62. Ask the People Doing the Work What Actually Needs Fixing
Doug McMillon talked about listening to store associates, and that really stuck with me. When we had to overhaul the tech at Online Casinos Elite, I did exactly that. I just asked the team what was actually broken and what they needed.
Their feedback helped us make the switch fast without making things worse. Turns out the best way through a big change is just to talk to the people doing the work.
– Jeff Grant, CEO, Online Casinos Elite
63. Great Results Come When Leaders Get Out of the Way
Watching Walmart during the pandemic taught me more than any business book. Store managers just started solving problems on their own, no top-down approvals needed.
After years of running SaaS sales teams the old way, I finally get it. Micromanaging kills good work. My teams do their best when I get out of their way and let them own their projects. The results speak for themselves.
– Daniel Hebert, Founder, Oleno by SalesMVP Lab Inc
64. Constant Adjustment Is the Price of Staying Relevant
Watching Doug McMillon change Walmart, even the parts that already work, gets you thinking. He’ll try new online ideas without hesitation. It’s the same with our SEO work.
Every time Google changes its algorithm, we have to adapt fast. That constant adjustment is what makes our strategies better for clients. You just have to stay curious and try new tools, otherwise you get left behind.
– Miguel Salcido, CEO, Organic Media Group
65. Question What’s “Good Enough” to Unlock Better Outcomes
Listening to Doug McMillon talk about Walmart, I noticed he wasn’t afraid to change things that were “good enough.” That stuck with me when our insurance signup process started getting complaints.
I told our developers to automate the initial forms, just to see what would happen. It worked. We cut our support calls in half. Now I always look for the part that’s “good enough” and ask if we can do better.
– André Disselkamp, Co-Founder & CEO, Insurancy
66. Give Local Teams Ownership to Drive Growth
Our Hire Fitness franchisees were disconnected, just waiting for direction. I took a page from Doug McMillon’s book at Walmart and gave them real control over their local decisions. It wasn’t a formal program, just me getting out of their way. They started taking ownership, customer service improved, and the business grew. Simple as that.
– Paul Healey, Managing Director, Hire Fitness
67. Small Frontline Fixes Create Big Improvements
Watching Doug McMillon walk his stores got me thinking about our campsite. So I started walking around, just talking to guests and staff. I found out people couldn’t find the firewood after dark.
We painted some simple glow-in-the-dark arrows on the path. Small fix, but it mattered. Honestly, get out of your office and talk to your people. You’ll learn what’s actually going on.
– Yann Duschenay, Manager, Camping Les Saules
68. Change With Your Users or Get Left Behind
Doug McMillon’s big push into e-commerce at Walmart stuck with me. There was a tough learning curve, but they made online grocery pickup so much easier for people.
Now, as CEO at ReelRecall.ai, I’m constantly checking what our users are saying. When how people use things changes, you have to change with them. You can’t just keep doing what you’ve always done.
– Nick Rogers, CEO, ReelRecall.ai
69. Fast Adaptation Stabilizes Performance in Traditional Industries
One powerful lesson I’ve taken from Doug McMillon is the importance of adapting quickly to market changes, especially in traditional industries. For instance, when we overhauled our paid media models at Marygrove Awnings in response to shifting consumer behaviors, it reminded me of Walmart’s bold push into e-commerce under Doug’s leadership. Took us some time to get the digital strategy right, but once we did, hitting our KPIs stopped being unpredictable.
– Joshua Eberly, Chief Marketing Officer, Marygrove Awnings
70. Flex Operations to Match How Customers Actually Buy
Doug McMillon is right about retail. In my ecommerce accounting work, I’ve seen that companies which change how they operate to match how customers shop-like Walmart moving online-are the ones that stay ahead. Being flexible with new tech keeps the cash coming in and prevents things from breaking down. My advice is to constantly look at your processes and be willing to change what isn’t working.
– Ben Sztejka, Managing Director, Your Ecommerce Accountant
71. Regular Feedback Sessions Replace Guesswork
Watching Doug McMillon visit his stores to actually listen to people changed my approach. At Together, we were struggling with our mentoring programs until I started hosting regular feedback sessions, my own version of his store visits. Team morale got better and we stopped guessing what users wanted. Now our platform updates fix the real problems they tell us about.
– Matthew Reeves, CEO & Co-founder, Together Software
72. Being Honest About Problems Unlocks Better Solutions
Doug McMillon showed me that being upfront about problems is what matters. I once had to tell my team the new online store design was failing. Instead of getting quiet, people started throwing out ideas to fix it, even the crazy ones. It’s hard to be that blunt, but it’s the only way to get everyone to actually solve problems together.
– Ankit Prajapati, eCommrce SEO Consultant, Consultant Ankit
73. Transparency Builds Trust Faster Than Marketing
Doug McMillon’s idea was simple, just don’t hide stuff. So when we built the senior care directory, we told users what was actually happening. We’d post updates like, hey, the search function is a little slow, we’re on it. Families loved that. They knew we were listening because their suggestions actually showed up on the site. That built more trust than any marketing campaign could.
– Askash GR, Business owner, DSP Digital Hub
74. Improve What Exists Without Forgetting Why Customers Came
Doug McMillon’s approach at Walmart is smart. He bet big on e-commerce but didn’t let the stores get worse for shoppers. We copied that idea at CashbackHQ.com. We made our site faster while also getting our support team to reply in minutes, not days. It worked. Users stuck with us. Sometimes you just need to improve what you have without forgetting why people showed up in the first place.
– Ben Rose, Founder & CEO, CashbackHQ
75. Direct Customer Conversations Keep Strategy Grounded
I appreciate how Doug McMillon actually visits his Walmart stores just to hear what people think. We do the same at Japantastic. After reading feedback emails and social media comments, we realized people wanted more kitchen tools, not just snack boxes, so we adjusted. Those direct conversations are what keep you on the right track. You can’t get that from a spreadsheet.
– Falah Putras, Owner, Japantastic
76. Staying Connected to Teams Makes Growth Sustainable
Doug McMillon showed me something important about staying connected to your team. I watched him walk through Walmart stores, actually talk to employees, and take notes on what they said. Now I make sure to regularly check in with my product and support teams at MarryFromHome.com. When people know they can speak up, changes happen easier and everyone stays more engaged. This really matters when you’re growing fast across different time zones.
– Daniel Oz, CEO, Marryforhome.com
77. Work Alongside the Frontline to Drive Real Adoption
The thing about Doug McMillon that gets me is how he actually works alongside frontline staff. It’s not for show, so people tell him straight up what’s wrong. We saw the same thing at Truly Tough. When we rolled out new project management software, I just talked directly with the team, which meant they actually used it instead of ignoring it.
– Joseph Melara, Chief Operating Officer, Truly Tough Contractors
78. One Real Conversation Beats a Month of Meetings
Doug McMillon gets it. He visits his own stores to hear what’s going on, which is where the real ideas for growth come from. His example pushed me to pick up the phone and talk to our SEO clients myself. My advice? Stop relying on spreadsheets and go talk to your team and customers. You’ll learn more in one conversation than in a month of meetings.
– Sean Chaudhary, Founder, AlchemyLeads
79. Let Data Replace Guesswork in Decision-Making
Watching Doug McMillon at Walmart taught me to stop guessing. When they saw people buying more groceries online, they put money there instead of just opening more stores. I tried that same idea with my e-commerce SEO clients, tracking the exact phrases people searched. It worked. Traffic jumped within weeks once we tied every change to a number. My advice? Let the data make the calls for you.
– Aditya Kathotia, CEO, Nico Digital Pvt Ltd
80. Test New Channels Early to Stay Ahead
Watching Doug McMillon at Walmart changed how I think about marketing. He pushed them into e-commerce when everyone thought they were too big to move fast. They went digital when it mattered. It taught me a lesson at my agency. The sooner we test new channels, like TikTok or whatever comes next, the better off we are. You just can’t get too comfortable.
– Vince Tint, Founder, 12 Steps Marketing
81. Great Branding Starts With Listening
Doug McMillon talks about listening to customers and employees, and that’s been my experience exactly. When I’ve worked on rebrands, the marketing only clicked after we started taking feedback from our team and clients seriously. Our campaigns got way more engagement. Just make it a habit to check in with your people and actually read what customers are saying. It makes all the difference.
– Soban Tariq, Founder, Game of Branding
82. Staying Close to Customers Prevents Complacency
Doug McMillon is right. You have to stay close to the customer, even when you’re at the top. My time in senior leadership has shown me that listening is the only way to keep from getting left behind. At BTE, we started quarterly feedback sessions, and it worked. We changed how we did things, and clients stuck around. It’s that simple.
– Rebecca Bryson, Managing Director, BTE Plant Sales
83. Employees Have the Answers—Just Ask Them
I try to do what Doug McMillon does, visiting stores to see what’s actually happening. So for our tech projects, I make a point of talking to the people who really use the software. It works. We get feedback, we make changes, things get better, and it happens fast. If you want to know what your business needs, just ask your employees. They have the answers.
– Tashlien Nunn, CEO, Apps Plus
Conclusion
Doug McMillon isn’t just the CEO of Walmart. He’s a leader who proved that scale doesn’t have to create distance—and that transformation works best when it starts with people.
He didn’t abandon Walmart’s foundations to chase disruption. He strengthened them. He invested in frontline workers before headlines applauded it. He modernized supply chains and digital infrastructure without losing sight of everyday customers. And he showed that listening—done consistently and at scale—can become a competitive advantage.
And that’s the thread running through all the lessons shared here:
Stay close to the frontline. Adapt early. Lead with empathy and discipline.
Whether you’re running a startup, managing a growing team, or steering change inside a complex organization, McMillon’s approach rewards leaders who move fast without leaving people behind.
So if you want to build something resilient, earn trust at scale, and lead through constant change…
Don’t lead from a distance. Lead like Doug McMillon.
