Lessons from Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon

Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon Athletica, is known for his candid statements that span business philosophy and leadership.

"The definition of a brand is that you're not everything to everybody… You've got to be clear that you don't want certain customers coming in." [1][2]
"Each day I walked into the office and asked myself, 'If I had to compete against lululemon, what would I do?' This allowed me to cannibalize what was working today for what would be best for the future.” [3][4]
"I started to understand that just a logo was much more powerful a branding statement than a name alone.” [3][4]
"An entrepreneur is someone who's just too incompetent to work for anyone else." [6]
"Innovation is delivering to the customer that which the customer does not yet know he or she needs." [7]
"An entrepreneur is easily able to put themselves five to ten years into the future. They build into the future, and not for the present." [7]
"You (have to) know exactly who you are selling to." [8]
"In the life of any company, there are cycles of growth that force those driving the bus to figure out where they need to steer." [7]

"The Landmark program helps you understand the connection between integrity and performance. The definition of integrity is doing what you say you're going to do, when you say you're going to do it." [10]
"My job as a leader was to create four or five leaders who in turn wanted to create other leaders." [11]
"A transformed person loves themselves and has the mental focus to generate a wonderful life. A fulfilled person has so much evidence of success, they automatically want the people around them to be trained in the same way." [7]
"The leadership of one person automatically begets the leadership of those around them." [7]
"We create the possibility of greatness in people because it makes us great. Mediocrity undermines greatness." [9]

“In the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work." [3][4]
"Mediocrity is doing an 'okay job,' having a relationship that 'works,' being just 'a little' overweight, or having a job that 'pays the bills.'" [10]
"I have made many life decisions that were strictly survival-driven, but never wealth-driven." [3][4]
"People love to help. I don't have to be insecure and know it all.” [3]
"I had no idea, but I realized that probably thirty to forty percent of my brainpower was taken up with the questions that I couldn't answer- because I had no direction. When I got clear on exactly where I wanted to go, and set the goals to get there, my mind calmed down.” [3]
"My fear is that if I don't give 100% — I only give 97% and fail, I will be on my deathbed one day going, 'Geez, I wish I would have gone the next three percent.'” [8]
"There are always those who won't try goal-setting because they fear the feeling of failure if a goal is not attained. In my view, learning to fail might be the most crucial learning of all." [7]
"The present is where all life really occurs." [7]

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