New Delhi, April 8 -- "There is only one boss - the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down."

These words - widely attributed to Sam Walton - highlight how a hierarchy within the company is never the final hierarchy. Walton was an American business magnate and entrepreneur who founded Walmart.

Walton's customer-first philosophy even reflect Walmart's own history, which ties the company's rise to value, service, and the belief that leadership is rooted in serving others.

Walton's words are grounded in practical reality- the real authority sits outside the organisation charts, in the hands of the person who decides where to spend money.

A chairman may sign strategy papers and a CEO may set targets, b...