Sam’s Club CEO Latriece Watkins says she feels most powerful watching the people she’s invested in succeed

Sam’s Club CEO Latriece Watkins credits her career success to investing in others and watching them achieve their goals. Speaking at Fortune’s MPW Summit, she explained that achieving personal power comes from seeing her peers succeed. "When I feel most powerful is when I see the people I’ve invested in make moves," Watkins shared with Most Powerful Women Editor Emma Hinchliffe.

She noted that being solely focused on one’s own career may miss out on greater influence opportunities. As the first woman and person of color to lead Walmart’s chief merchant in 2023, Watkins has made significant strides in her three-decade tenure at Walmart, a $890 billion company. Her approach involves a symbiotic strategy with her peers, ensuring that everyone thrives.

Watkins highlighted that her power lies in the people she has helped, as well as the feedback she receives from them. Despite her high-ranking position, she emphasized the importance of finding ways to support employees, which can be challenging for busy executives. In her eight months leading Sam’s Club, Watkins has discovered that clear communication and understanding workers’ needs are crucial for effective leadership.

She advises leaders to carve out time to gain clarity for themselves, as ambiguity can confuse those they guide. "People look to you for clarity, which means you have to be clear," Watkins advised. "You don’t think out loud." Establishing this clarity requires dedicated effort, even if it’s one of the most challenging tasks for leaders.