Sam’s Club CEO Latriece Watkins Says Leadership Power Comes From Helping Others Advance
Sam's Club CEO Latriece Watkins told Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit that she feels most powerful when people she has mentored or supported move ahead in their careers. Watkins, who rose from a Walmart intern to lead Sam's Club, said helping others and receiving their feedback has benefited her own career. She advised leaders to set aside time to gain clarity, because employees look to them for a clear vision and should not hear them thinking out loud.
Watkins has spent roughly 30 years at Walmart, starting as an intern and eventually leading Sam’s Club. In 2023, she became Walmart’s first female chief merchant and first person of color in that role. She spoke Tuesday at Fortune’s MPW Summit in Santa Barbara with editor Emma Hinchliffe.
Now 51 and eight months into her CEO job, she said mentoring others and hearing their feedback has helped her own advancement. She also urged leaders to reserve thinking time so they can offer a clear vision rather than confusing staff by processing ideas aloud.
Watkins’s emphasis on sponsorship and clarity may influence how retail and corporate leaders view advancement. Employees, especially women and people of color, could see mentorship as a path to opportunity, while companies may benefit from stronger pipelines. Her visibility as a top executive may also shape expectations about inclusive leadership. However, impact depends on whether such practices spread beyond individual example.