Lessons from the military speed leadership development at Walmart : Academy accelerates high‐potential people's rise to the top

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe how supermarket‐giant Walmart, facing demand to open stores faster than it could produce qualified managers, has launched a leadership academy to develop high‐potential talent and increase the speed at which managers are ready for promotion. Design/methodology/approach – Explains the reasons for the program, the form it takes and the results it has achieved. Findings – Details the involvement of business‐execution expert McKinney Rogers, whose approach is based on leadership lessons from the military. Practical implications – Explains that, by combining development, training and operational activities in the context of the company's day‐to‐day needs, the leadership academy delivers greater impact and relevance than generic management training. Social implications – Shows how skills honed by the military – such as being able to quickly execute complex missions in the most demanding environments – can be applied to benefit multinational corporations. Originality/value – The paper discusses an unusual approach to accelerated management development.