It’s a lesson Furner learned firsthand over more than three decades at Walmart.
The Arkansas native started out at Walmart in 1993 as a part-time hourly associate in the company’s garden center, where he likely stacked bags of mulch, watered the seasonal flowers, and worked the cash register
But the job of the top person isn’t just being quick to adapt to change—but also to communicate it with the rest of the workforce.
“With any people that you are leading—or that have allowed you to become their leader—it’s important to listen, meet them where they are,” Furner added. “Explain, talk about the purpose and why we’re doing things, talk about how this relates to the bigger picture.”
The inevitability of change—and the costs of resisting it—is a view increasingly shared across corporate America, where executives say adaptability has become a prerequisite for growth—and survival.
“Don’t fear change—embrace it,” Walia wrote. “Disruption creates opportunities to innovate, learn, and add value in unexpected ways.”
