Friday, February 22, 2019

Reading Reflection - "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight


         The autobiography I selected was “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight. What surprised me the most was the way Knight was able to socially engineer a relationship with Mr. Onitsuka off of a single cold-call. To be able to establish a connection in this manner is an amazing skill to have as an entrepreneur. I admired Knight’s passion for an idea, as well as his allowance of letting others “do their thing”. However, this allowance is not that well received by me, as sometimes I believe there should be standardization and training to utilize talent. Knight always caught onto an idea with passion, and this helped him overcome any adversity he faced. He dealt with limited funds and support but kept a positive attitude and a solid commitment to his self.
         Phil Knight was socially engaging and displayed a great drive. He was able to discuss with others his concerns and mistakes while also confiding goals and visions for the future with who he was close to. His work ethic was admirable and allowed him great success once he “hit the ground running”. I felt as if I understood almost every aspect of the book, so my only concern was regarding what I least admired about him.
         If I were to ask two questions:
1.     How did you deal with the pressure and stress of attempting to launch an idea as big as Nike?
2.     What was your initial vision of the company and how do you compare it to its current success?
I believe Knight has a very creative way of expressing hard work. I don’t have a similar style, but I may adopt techniques I read to help with my social skills that can translate to hands-on work.

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