Kevin Plank has a telescope in his office aimed not at the heavens, but at a hotel. From his suite on the fourth floor of the Cascade Building at Under Armour's Tide Point headquarters, Baltimore's sportiest billionaire can gaze across the water to the Sagamore Pendry, the Fells Point luxury hotel he opened in March.
Dripping with symbolism, the instrument was a gift from the property's general manager, who already knows what everyone who works for Plank will discover soon enough: The boss will be watching.
Not that Plank is a micromanager -- he didn't pick out carpet or trim for the guest rooms. But he knows that his employees are among the most public faces of his brands, and to Plank, brand is king. He focuses on his businesses' reputations with the precision of a Jordan Spieth putt.
