In 1964, Phil Knight had a dream to bring high-quality athletic wear from Portland with low prices and make it available for all students. In his mind, he saw white socks that were affordable even if you didn’t have two nickels jacking around in your jeans pockets. Phil Knight had a dream.
Nowadays, we know that dream as the Nike Corporation and the infamous “swoosh” logo. Some of us like to call it swooshes or nikes (like shoes). I had some friends who called them knicks for some reason back in middle school; those people probably still call them knicks to this day.
Phil is an inspiration to many today. In this blog post, we look at some life lessons from him and how we can implement them in our own lives to be just as successful.
1. Have a passion for what you want to do
Do you think that if Phil had dreamt of some crappy shoe company, Nike would be as successful as it is today? No. Its success came from the fact that he saw something special in this market before anyone else did. He went ahead and made it happen because he was passionate about what he wanted to do.
2. Work hard for what you want to achieve
Nike is the most valuable sports brand today, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took years of hard work and dedication before Phil could even see his dream taking shape into a reality. No matter how much talent you have, if you don’t work hard for what you want to achieve, you will never be able to do it.
3. Have a vision that will take others with you
If no one buys into your dream or vision, there is nothing to follow behind as a leader. So it’s better to have the bare minimum number of people walking alongside you instead of having no one at all. This is important because if there are people who believe in what you do, they can help create something special that will take both of you to places.
4. Stay humble when you achieve your goals
Please don’t get too full of yourself after achieving something great; remember where you came from and how tough it was to get where you are. Have a good heart and always remember to give back to the world in some way, shape or form.
5. Keep an open mind when someone criticizes your work
Constructive criticism is something that everyone must learn to live with if they want to achieve anything great in life. It’s easy to get your feelings hurt; we’re all human, and we do that sometimes. However, if you can brush off the negativity and learn from it moving forward, then that criticism is working for you, not against you.
6. Stand up for something when it matters most
Nike has always been about doing what you love, regardless of others’ thoughts. The company has stood for something since the beginning, and that message rings loud and clear to this day. If you have a strong belief in something important, don’t be afraid to stand against those who oppose it.
7. Be kind to everyone around you because it’ll make them want to be kind back
In business, you have a lot of opportunities to meet new people and forge relationships. This is why you need to be a good person in every possible way to want to do the same. You never know when these people can come in handy in your life.
8. Always have a positive attitude
Life is all about how you approach it. Don’t let the little things get to you, and always have a solution ready in your mind before anything goes wrong. Of course, it takes a little more effort on your part when you want to do things differently from what’s considered normal, but never stop living according to your terms.
9. Never let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do
You may not be able to grow wings and fly across the sky, but Nike has always been about making the impossible possible. So don’t get too caught up over all of the stuff you cannot do; focus on the stuff you can do instead.
10. Always keep your eyes open for opportunities
Opportunities are everywhere if you know where to look. Phil Knight has always been on the lookout for changes, which helped him turn his company into something huge during his time running it. If you’re in the right place at the right time, never let the opportunity slip away.
Phil Knight: In conclusion
Nike is something that everyone wants to be part of because the name means something. The company has always stood for hard work, dedication, humility and great customer service. These are why everything that Phil Knight did during his time with Nike was successful.