Where do you go to get your clever ideas?

I used to go to success stories.  To the people who’d been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

But looking back, it’s clear this wasn’t the smartest move.

Take the book Shoe Dog for example. I read it during my sabbatical.

The book tells the story of how Phil Knight built Nike from nothing into the behemoth it is today.

It's is bursting with clever strategies, creative tactics and inspirational hustle.  And if you’re a wannabe business titan looking for smart and unusual ideas, the book delivers.

For instance, Phil tells stories like:

*** How the Nike “waffle sole”, possibly the most iconic sneaker sole EVER, was created by his track coach pouring rubber into a waffle machine

*** How he took a trip to Tokyo to pitch the shoe firm Onitsuka to be Nike’s US distributor, despite having no industry connections, no business…..and not even having an appointment!

*** How Nike broke new ground by signing sports stars to endorse their brand (including a then unknown rookie whose name just happened to be Michael Jordan)

*** How the name “Nike” was an eleventh hour decision (Phil hated the name when Nike’s first employee Jeff Johnson suggested it)

These four stories alone are enough to get any entrepreneur’s mind fizzing with ideas about being decisive, innovative and thinking outside the box.

So if you want to be inspired, go ahead and grab a copy of the book.

But if you’re looking for specific strategies, be careful.

Because there’s no doubt about it:

Phil Knight was a lottery winner.

I’m not saying Phil didn’t work hard.  I’m not saying he wasn’t supremely talented.  I’m not saying he didn’t have a powerful vision, immense motivation and an unwavering belief.

What I’m saying is that even with all those things, success at this scale requires the stars to align in a way which no-one can control. 

Perhaps this sounds obvious. 

After all, anyone who reads Shoe Dog then races to Argos to buy a waffle maker is clearly missing the point.

But it goes deeper than that.

I also mean there’s little point studying the mental models Phil used.

Mental models like how did Phil make decisions?  How did he get his ideas?  How did he know when it was time to change direction?  How did he filter out what didn’t matter?  How did he overrule conventional wisdom or logic when his instincts said otherwise?  And how did he handle uncertainty?

Replicating these mental models is no different to picking the winning lottery numbers based on last week’s results.  

Sure, you might win the jackpot this way.  

But it's unlikely.

That's because Phil’s strategies and mental models aren’t universal.  They worked for him.  They came from his personal instincts and circumstances. 

And when you’re trying to find success (however you define success), it’s helpful to know what is universal.  What’s timeless, unbreakable and always true in a world which is full of change and uncertainty.  

I mean universal principles like:

What is a decision? Where do ideas come from?  What does it mean to know something?  Why do some things matter when other things don’t? What stock can we place in our instincts?  And what is uncertainty telling us?

These questions get to the root of how to think and act effectively, no matter the circumstances.

And if you’re trying to make stuff happen in the world, these are the questions to delve into.

As you might imagine, these are also the sorts of questions which underpin my coaching.

If you're curious about how coaching can help you find your own way to success, let's start a conversation:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com