A ruinous pandemic business strategy, declining innovation, exodus of talent, and a “worst sneaker of all time” accolade has laid the world's biggest sports brand low.

When Nike said on Thursday that John Donahoe was stepping down as chief executive officer, his exit from a rocky tenure offered a brutal reminder to corporate boards: Focus on what a company's core business is when looking for a new CEO.

John Donahoe never had the strengths required to lead a design-focused organization like Nike. You should hire for the strengths that match your core focus.