Bill Bowerman: Portrait of a Leader whose Personality Infected an Empire - Research Paper Example

Bill Bowerman: Portrait of a leader whose personality infected an empire Introduction Bill Bowerman was an innovator and inspiration in the world of athletic apparel. His designs for athletic shoes began the empire that would be Nike, thus changing the face of athleticism through a series of well timed historical situations that provided a foundation on which the empire was built. Because Bowerman created his new design just as the jogging craze began to evolve, because he found fame through coaching one of the great runners of all time, Steve Prefontaine, and because he was smart enough to partner with Phil Knight, who was a brilliant marketing genius, Bowerman was able to take advantage of a series of events that could bring about change in the industry. However, it was his personality that inspired and dominated the development of the Nike Corporation. Without his specific personality traits, his leadership and the manifested potential would never have evolved and the athletic shoe industry would have never existed in its present powerful form. Brief History One can ask, how does a waffle iron change the world? In 1971, Bill Bowerman (1911 - 1999) watched his wife make waffles and thought of a whole new way to make the sole of a shoe, thus changing the nature of athletic shoes. Taking synthetic rubber, he poured it into the waffle iron creating and found that it made a lighter form which is still used as the basic concept when athletic shoes are created to this day (O’Neil 2004, 3). Through a series of events that put Bowerman in the center of the jogging craze and through his coaching of a media icon runner, he was able to create a foundation for creating change within the core of the interpretation of athleticism. However, it was his own charisma and inspirational influence that allowed for people to follow his lead and bring the potential of his shoe into the realization of the Nike world. Bill Bowerman did not set out in life to build a business empire. His aim was to facilitate a better athlete. He was the head coach of track and field for the University of Oregan from 1948 to 1972. His nature was to be highly competitive and very focused, thus being able to lead his team as well as his individual players to achieve. He was also very interested in physiology, and through this interest began developing ideas on how to make better running shoes. He designed his first innovative soul of a shoe in the 1950’s, but was not in a position to market and manufacture the shoe. This became an opportunity to look into creating his own business and when one of his former players partnered with him, Phil Knight, he had the tools he needed to progress forward and create his first line of shoes. The first year in production, 1972, four runner out of the top five in the marathon for the Olympics wore Nike running shoes (O’Neil 2004, 4). Nike began as Blue Ribbon Sports, but in 1978 became Nike Inc.. In that same year, the revenue for the company was 71 million US dollars. Nike went public in 1980 and by 1983 had revenues of 149 million. The Air Jordan show was launched in 1985 and was responsible for pushing revenues to 1 billion US dollars (Movers & shakers: the 100 most influential figures in modern business 2003, 231). According to Herbold (2007, 167), Bowerman’s strategy was simple: “Find excellent people who care about the product and get out of their way”. An interesting side note is that the Nike swoosh, one of the most powerful symbols, let alone brand icons, in the world, was created by a graphic designer who was paid $35 for the work. Trait Theory in Nike Leadership The way in which Bowerman lead his people was based on his personality and his experiences which led to the development of the Nike form of management. Bowerman was a powerful coach, a man who could inspire his team to victory. This contagious type of personality forms the foundation of the success of many innovators, including Bowerman. According ot Manning and Curtis (2003, 16), trait theory in leadership is founded in physical and physiological traits which are attributed to leadership effectiveness. Traits such as height, attractiveness, intelligence, self-reliance, and creativity, along with clear strong values, and personal energy can be associated to leaders who exhibit the benefits of trait theory. Bowerman had a passion for what he created, and in that passion he was able to bring others into his sphere of influence and inspire them to achieve. Bowerman was the right leader at the right time, but he also had to wait for that time to arrive. Although he started his inventive spirit in the 1950’s and created shoe designs at that time, it was when the jogging craze began in the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s that his concept was ripe for general public acceptance. Bowerman coached Steve Prefontaine, one of the most inspiring runners the world has ever seen. Prefontaine became a media sensation as a charismatic and record breaking runner. He won every race and broke every record, furthering the running craze of the time period. He died tragically at the age of 24 in 1975 when his convertible rolled in a one car traffic accident. Prefontaine was the first to wear the Waffle sole created by Bowerman and between the media charisma of the runner and the powerful and inspirational spirit of Bowerman, the time was ripe for creating athletic gear that would inspire people to run (Barnes 2004, 28). One of the downfalls of trait theories of leadership is that studies have a difficult time in pinpointing exactly which traits create the framework for an effective leader. According to Herbold (2007, 168), one of the things that led Nike to success was Bowerman’s attitude in finding the right people for the job. One of his first solid choices in creating his business was in choosing a partner who was innovative and strong in his ability to see marketing opportunities and create solid choices for key players in the Nike empire. Phil Knight led the business of the company through powerful and strategic delegation. Taking his cue from Bowerman who had been his coach at the University of Oregan, Knight delegated in such a manner that the company was run through the decisions of a network of highly skilled management. Rather than focusing all the decision making within himself, he would allow his people to do their jobs, although this did not always work out the way he would hope. The Spread of Leadership The way in which Bowerman led became the model through which the empire was made successful. Bowerman was driven to succeed, but was relentless with his methods of getting to his players. Bowerman didn’t demand, he let those who wanted to learn come to him and then he would break them until he could rebuild them to suit what was best within them. He was unselfish, but ruthless, and he had no time for anyone who didn’t want to learn. He saw himself as an educator and didn’t particularly like the whole scholarship, recruiting model of bringing in players. He felt that if someone had the drive to be the best, he could teach them. If they didn’t have that drive, he had no patience for it. He didn’t have to seek out the best, because the best would find him in order to craft their athleticism through his methodologies, which were harsh, but succinct (Moore 2006, 5). His concept of creating players through their own ambitions was the way in which Nike formed its models of management. The company was designed around letting the creativity and the inspiration of its employees be developed and utilized, rather than directed and dictated over. Knight was a marketing genius, but was not known for his people skills. Therefore, as CEO he allowed his people a great deal of freedom in creating a network of decision making processes. This was a reflection of Bowerman’s leadership as in the same way that Bowerman would have to hone his runners’ skills, but then stand back and let them win the race. By choosing people who were the right fit, then letting them develop and grow into empowered employees, Knight was reflecting Bowerman’s leadership. However, this did not always succeed. In 1983, Knight decided to take an extended trip to China and designated Bob Woodall as the acting president for the company. At this time, the focus of exercise trend was changing from running to aerobics, but Nike missed that cue because Woodall remained focused on running and basketball, a cue that Knight would not have missed had he not left on a sabbatical. In 1984 Knight returned and had to navigate a difficult period in which his product was being usurped by Reebok who had not missed the turning of the tide and was gaining prominence in the industry. By 1988, a complete management turn-over had been accomplished and by the early to mid 1990’s, Nike was back on track and holding a 40% share in the athletic industry (Herbold 2007, 168). Bowerman had always looked at every defeat as a potential to turn it into a future win. Bowerman is quoted as saying “Losing…can be a real beginning” (Movers & shakers: the 100 most influential figures in modern business. 2003, 3). This attitude was the inspiration upon which Nike has seen its recovery from downturns within its popularity. The attitude of Bowerman was the foundation of the corporate philosophy that has inspired the success that Nike has seen. Bowerman believed that every person was an athlete (Lussier 2008, 85). Without the idea to bring athleticism to the masses, Nike would have never seen the success that it has achieved. Bowerman lead as a man who believed that the best of every person could be coaxed to the service and honed into a refined version that could find success. Although his methodology could be frightening to his players, his firm belief in the end result created confidence and inspired excellence (Moore 2006, 6). Conclusion Without the personality of Bill Bowerman, the development of his leadership would have never been realized. Looking at his accomplishments through the lens of trait theory, his personal charisma and his personality traits were responsible for the way in which he was able to develop leadership skills. Through those skills, an entire empire was developed that changed the nature of physical activity throughout the world. While the corporation has seen some difficulties, the core belief system that can be attributed to Bowerman has sustained the business through its trials and tribulation. As Bowerman said, “Losing…can be a real beginning“ (Movers & shakers: the 100 most influential figures in modern business. 2003, 3) Bowerman believed in the learning process and in the power of the individual to succeed. A relatively current marketing concept has the slogan “Just do it”, a certain reflection of Bowerman’s influence. According to Goldman and Papson (2000, 19), Nike is branded in such a way that belief is at the core of the association with the product. They state that “Nike has constructed itself as an icon that embraces a larger image system that possesses both a philosophy and a personality”. The statement “Just do it” is a mandate that tells the public to get up, get out, and stop using excuses. The image of the company is founded on development of the individual, both in branding and in its management model. When examined against the philosophies of Bill Bowerman, the Nike image and corporate model has been constructed through the influence of his personality and the way in which his personality traits developed a powerful leadership. References Barnes, Christine. 2004. Only in Oregon: natural and manmade landmarks and oddities. Helena, MT: Farcountry Press. Goldman, Robert, and Stephen Papson. 2000. Nike culture the sign of the swoosh. London [u.a.]: SAGE Publ. Hamilton, Cheryl. 2008. Communicating for results: a guide for business and the professions. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. Herbold, Robert J. 2007. Seduced by success how the best companies survive the 9 traps of winning. New York: McGraw-Hill. Lussier, Robert N. 2008. Management fundamentals: concepts, applications, skill development. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning. Manning, George, and Kent Curtis. 2003. The art of leadership. Boston, Mass: McGraw- Hill/Irwin. Moore, Kenny. 2006. Bowerman and the men of Oregon: the story of Oregon's legendary coach and Nike's cofounder. Emmaus, PA: Rodale. Movers & shakers: the 100 most influential figures in modern business. 2003. Cambridge, MA: Basic Books. O'Neil, William J. 2004. Business leaders & success: 55 top business leaders & how they achieved greatness. New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More