Kevin Plank Analysis

In 1996, a 23-year-old named Kevin Plank, the former special teams captain for the University of Maryland football team invented a new product that would change the way athletes dress. Plank did not like having to work out and practice in sweaty cotton t-shirts, so after extensive research on athletic benefits of synthetic fabrics, he created the first Under Armour T-shirt, named the #0037. “Engineered with moisture-wicking performance fibers, the shirt helps keep athletes cool, dry, and light in the most brutally hot conditions” (UA, 2018). Plank sold his merchandise out of the truck of his car as he traveled up and down the East Coast, at the end of 1996, Under Armour generated $17,000 in sales as Plank made his first team sale. By 1998,
Plank is big on people, not only his employees in the company, but the staff in the stores and the consumers of his products. A great leader knows how to delegate task in doing so, hiring people who would be an asset to the company. Plank hired his first partner Kip Fulks, someone he trusted, he had confidence that Fulks would hire two great people and they would hire three more great people and the chain would continue. Kevin Plank has an encouraging outlook on the organization and personnel that work for Under Armour. He wants his employees to think ahead and grow in the organization with an entrepreneurial mindset not stay stagnant in the company. Plank is passionate about the company. He intends to lead by example, have and set a vision but never limit the idea or the
In order to start the company, Plank did extensive research so he was aware of the market industry he was trying to break into, making his technical skills topnotch. People skills are the ability to work well with other people and communication skills involve clearly and effectively getting your ideas across. These two skills have some correlation, since in order to successfully have a great relationship with the employees in a company, a good manager must have great communication skills. Kevin Plank has over 800 employees and over the years he has clearly stated his ideas and concepts to have a flourishing and successful company. Conceptual skills are the ability to comprehend abstract ideas. When Plank invented Under Armour, he founded the company on an abstract idea that was the first of many, the Under Armour HeatGear T-shirt. Decision-making skills are the ability to select substitutes to solve problems. Being the CEO of the company for several years and seeing the business develop positively, is evidence that Plank and the choices he makes are beneficial to the