Let me start off by saying I was laid off so this is not a JD sympathy post. He should’ve been the first one to be laid off in my opinion. But is not a good sign when the company has to turn to the old Gand to write the ship. It did not work out for a Disney did not work out for Starbucks And I can tell you won’t work out for Undee Armour nor will it work out for a Nike. What you need in a time like this is a influx of new ideas. The belief that what worked then is going to work again is a misplaced one and is a mark of a company that is struggling to find a new idea. There will be a temporary boost in morale because God knows we all can’t wait to see JD go, but I can make a safe bet that the company will be in the same place a year from now.
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Move on loser. Old guard rules!
Listen. What has made Nike special over the year, and drove meteoric growth was the culture, the teamwork, the absolute focus on the consumer/athlete. And great storytelling. Making money was automatic, as the principles say from ‘77.
EH bleeds all of these things. A good CEO enables the thousands to work well together, builds relationships, creates an amazing culture, gets in the trenches and doesn’t live in an ivory 5th floor tower. He has done that, and will do that. And they rely on the genius of others within that context to their best work that they know they can’t, whether it’s strat, finance, supply chain, innovation, merch, sales or whatever. He’s not a silver (but he is gray haired) bullet, but a catalyst from a dark place.
After the JD era, I hope all go forward with good intentions (except those “yes JD” people who realize they are now sc--wed).
I would expect that some ELT leaders who should have known better and valued self-preservation over “Do the right thing” through the Parker-Donahoe transition will soon go. That will be a good first proof point in change, and signal he’s serious.
EH is a great temporary solve but agreed on new blood needed. Bringing back retros can only take you so far
Aggressive power move by Nike, I finally have faith in the company once again!
He seems like a great people leader who inspires people, which we certainly could use right now, but the question is: Is he the one to take Nike into the future?
I’ve also pondered whether he may just be an interim solution just to get JD out right away and restore morale.
My initial response was simply being ecstatic that JD was fired. Now that I’ve had time to digest the news, I’ve been having similar thoughts.
I got laid off too! Had to show up for the JD fired party though…
I can make a safe bet you spend too much time at a company you are not at.