Time-management lesson from Nike CEO: Elliott Hill reveals one simple habit that helps him balance work, family and personal growth

Managing a demanding career while making time for family and personal commitments can be difficult, particularly for people with busy schedules. Nike CEO Elliott Hill, however, follows a simple approach to make sure his professional responsibilities do not completely take over his personal life.

Hill shared his time-management strategy on the You Got Byrned podcast, hosted by Greg Byrne. His approach involves identifying what matters most, assigning specific commitments to each priority and building them into his calendar.

Nike CEO Elliott Hill's simple time-management lesson

Hill said he started by listing the things that were important to him, including family, friends, personal growth and work. He then identified commitments under each category and incorporated them into his schedule.


"I sat down, and I actually listed what was important to me: family, friends, my own personal — and then work — growth, and I put commitments underneath each one of those, and then I built them into my calendar," Hill said.

He believes writing down priorities helps people become more deliberate about how they spend their time.

"It all comes down to being very deliberate about what's important to us. Writing it on a piece of paper was very, very helpful, and then being planful enough to build it into your calendar. That's how I've always managed the balance," he added.

How he makes time for children despite a busy schedule

Hill's approach also involves recognising that not every personal commitment can fit into working hours. He explained that his early-morning schedule meant he could not have breakfast with his two children because he needed to be at the office.

Instead, he decided to make dinner time a priority and asked his administrative assistant to block it in his calendar so he could leave work on time.

"I knew I wasn't ever going to be there for breakfast with the kids because I was an early bird, and I was going to be in the office," Hill said.

He also blocks time for parent-teacher conferences and other school events, adjusting work trips when they clash with these commitments.

Morning workouts are part of his daily routine

Hill follows a structured routine when he is not travelling. This includes maintaining regular sleep and wake-up times and exercising every morning.

"What time I try to get to sleep, what time I try to wake up. I get a workout in every morning, too. That helps keep me grounded and keeps me balanced," he told Byrne.

From Nike intern to CEO

Hill's approach to time management comes after a long career at the sportswear company. He joined Nike as a sales representative intern in 1988 and spent more than three decades in different leadership roles across the business.

He retired in 2020 after serving as president of Consumer and Marketplace, overseeing commercial and marketing operations. However, he returned to the company in 2024 to take charge as its president and CEO.