The University of Oregon honored alumnus and mega-booster Phil Knight at a recent men’s basketball game against USC. The celebration included a giant birthday card, video tributes and free Phil Knight bobbleheads for everybody in attendance.
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Knight acknowledges the crowd at Oregon.
Photo by: AP IMAGES
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Knight rarely gives interviews, and he largely built Nike into one of the world’s biggest brands while out of public sight. But he sat courtside on this particular Saturday night, offering a rare glimpse at the social, as well as other, skills that have made him one of the world’s most successful businessmen.
Here are five takeaways from watching Knight and seeing how the evening played out.
1. Be approachable
Knight was flanked by a friend and a representative of the university’s athletic department, but that didn’t stop numerous fans from asking him for an autograph or a picture. Knight indulged all takers. An approachable personality has been a key asset for Knight, who has had to quickly establish relationships around the globe as he built Nike into a Fortune 500 company.
2. Have fun
Executives work long hours. In his 50-plus years peddling shoes, Knight has had his share of exhausting meetings. He often breaks the tension with jokes. At the basketball game, he even tossed peanuts into the student section.
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Bobbleheads were part of the tribute.
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3. Cut to the chase
Whether he’s running Nike’s annual meeting or talking to a reporter, Knight gets to the point quickly. I didn’t have any luck setting up an interview with him in advance of the basketball game, but he gladly gave me a quick quote during a halftime interview.
4. Be gracious
With a $16.3 billion fortune, Phil Knight doesn’t need a long-sleeved T-shirt with his name on it (one of the gifts given to him by the university), but he seemed touched by all of the university’s efforts. He even high-fived several fans as he left the arena. Making those around him feel important has helped Knight maintain key relationships for decades.
5. Little stuff matters
Figure on Knight being one of the handful of fans in attendance who had a stat sheet with him during the game. His reputation says that he’s always paid attention to details, whether it’s who has the most rebounds or the music in Nike commercials.
Matthew Kish writes for the Portland Business Journal, an affiliated publication.
