Phil Knight, MBA ’62, Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus, Nike

“Don’t equate hero leadership with autocratic leadership. Collaborative leadership, in my view, is really the only kind of leadership that will work today.” Phil Knight, co-founder & Chairman Emeritus of Nike, said during the View From The Top speakers series on campus. Knight, who rarely gives public interviews, reflected on how the characteristics that make him an introvert have often made him a better leader. “If we don’t listen to the voice of the athlete, we don’t have anything,” he said.
Knight also shared insights on sticking with your beliefs, since dark days are inevitable for any entrepreneur. “When you’re an introvert entrepreneur, you have to believe,” he said. “You have to believe in order to overcome a certain shyness.”