The world is a very different place today from when Sam Walton came up with his 10 rules. How applicable are they still? Michael Bergdahl's answer: Rob Walton, who is the Chairman of the Board of Wal-Mart and the son of Sam Walton, wrote the Foreword for my book The 10 Rules of Sam Walton . In the Foreword he stated, “As large as Wal-Mart has become, we still find ourselves referring to Dad's “Rules for a Successful Business,” embodied in this book.” The 10 Rules are timeless because they are for the most part simple commonsense notions. Sam Walton would be the first to tell you that simple ideas have the best chance of being understood, followed and executed. That's the beauty of the simplicity of his rules. Sam Walton's goal was to make Wal-Mart the best retailer around not the biggest. His idea of success was providing the right products at the lowest price and providing great service. If the leaders at other companies are willing to focus on running an excellent operation, treating their people right and serving their customers they can be just as successful. I know that to be truly successful in any endeavor requires personal commitment on the part of the leader, commitment on the part of the followers and a belief in a dream. The 10 rules are a blueprint for success which catapulted Sam Walton from a single store owner in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas to become the most successful merchant in the history of the world! Will any other company or individual business leader achieve what Sam Walton has achieved? If an ordinary man like Sam Walton can achieve the extraordinary, it is possible someone else can too!