Lessons from Shoe Dog

Last weekend I read Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. This is an attempt to recall what I learned and also share some lessons from the book which I feel my network might benefit from.

Shoe Dog is the story of how Nike was built. It starts with Phil Knight's life just as has graduated from Stanford. Phil stays with his family in Oregon, which is a small town in the USA. Phil is a runner and is deeply passionate about running. He trains with Bill Bowerman who is a great coach and knows a lot about shoes. Bill considers himself the doctor of shoes and the track as a hospital that tells us how much he cares about running. Phil senses a need for good running shoes to train in and decides to import shoes from Japan and sell the shoes in the US. Starting slow he builds a team of passionate sportspeople who help him in his business and the business continues to pick up. Along the way, it sees many hardships both personal and professional. The book describes how Phil was able to cross all the barriers and eventually build the Nike we know of.

Here are some lessons which stayed with me and I hope to develop on

1. Taking Risks and being accountable for them:

As Mr. Richard Branson says -

"If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!"

Phil takes banks on these opportunities many times even without having the required infrastructure to support them. Eventually, things turn out for good. If you don't succeed at least the learning stats with you.

2. Importance of building a good team:

Phil had a great team that supported him throughout the process. As Phil admits in the book; to outsiders we might not be perfect but as a team, we complement each other's skillsets and complete the team. If not for Bowerman, Johnson, Hayes, Woodell; Nike wouldn't be the Nike we know of today. The team was there when the bricks were down, the team was there when the castle was built.

3. Importance of Work-Life Balance:

Phil in the last chapters shares some regrets which he had. Phil's eldest son Matthew didn't get enough Father time as he grew up. Nike was in a nascent stage then and Phil couldn't give enough time to his son. Matthew growing up became a rebel and wasn't interested in his father's business or talks. Maybe he was acting out of a place of resistance.

Matthew had a mishap and died in a Scuba Diving accident. Phil's biggest regret is not spending enough time with his Son. This made me understand the importance of family and why we need to have a balance of both aspects.

4. Giving back to the people who helped you in the journey:

Nike wasn't built by Phil Knight. He might have been the co-founder but it was the team that built it. Even today Nike's headquarters have buildings bearing the names of the initial employees. During the division of shares, many initial employees became rich but it's the spirit of giving back to the team and society that made Nike the best sports equipment company in the world.

5. What Makes Nike, Nike:

Nike doesn't sell shoes, it sells dreams. It sells hope to people like us who want to train and be fit. It makes us live the life of great athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sunil Chettri, Kobe Bryant etc. It makes us believe that we also can become great by sticking to a routine and hustling. Nike wasn't created to sell shoes, it was created to help athletes train better and live a better life. As the tag line goes:

Just do it.

I would strongly suggest everyone read Shoe Dog. The book is filled with wisdom on leadership, business, and general life lessons. Do let me know your thoughts after reading the book.