How Nike Sustains Heritage of Innovation
most iconic athletic brand as it does to its customers.
competition is a unique culture in which innovation is the name of the game'it's
a full-on contact sport.
understand this better than Nelson Farris, who has been with Nike for 40-some
years and who has held somewhere between 15-20 different positions over the
course of his career there.
didn't have a brand and we didn't have any money,' recalls Farris, who, in
addition to being senior director of Global Talent Management also has 'Culture
& Heritage' tacked on to his job responsibilities.
'In order to compete, we had to do something
better. So, we were trusted to be innovative. We were allowed to make mistakes
and fail. We were given the freedom to get things done,' Farris told Forward
Focus.
out of that kind of madness in the early years. There was no manual on how to
do any of this,' he added, 'so you attract people who like that kind of
culture. It's a culture based on serious competitiveness.'
the time. You just throw out the conventional wisdom of the day,' said Farris.
unique that not only does it take a very particular disposition to thrive
there, but a concerted effort to maintain that edge.
himself to create a program that would preserve Nike's entrepreneurial legacy
by inculcating new employees with the 'just do it' mindset that has made the
company so phenomenally successful.
Forward Focus, Farris takes us inside Nike's culture of innovation and outlines what it takes to play for an all-star team.
leaders and experts at the forefront of innovation.
Front End of Innovation conference'taking place May 6-8 in Boston.
It's not too late to join us!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/INTERVIEWER
Marc Dresner is IIR USA's senior editor and special communication projects lead. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for marketing and media research, consumer insights and intelligence professionals. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.