Chicago Cubs Team President Theo Epstein Named The World's Greatest Leader By Fortune Magazine
You could make a case for the pope. Some would make a case for the president of the United States. Donald Trump might make a case for Vladimir Putin.
But when it comes to the best leader in the world. Well, that’s a no-brainer: Theo Epstein, of course.
The folks at Fortune magazine came out with their annual list of the world’s greatest leaders today and the Cubs’ president with the boyish good looks and remarkable baseball brain came in at No. 1.
Honest.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-prez-theo-epstein-named-worlds-greatest-leader-by-fortune/
“Um, I can’t even get my dog to stop peeing in the house,” he wrote in a text to ESPN’s Buster Olney. “That is ridiculous. The whole thing is patently ridiculous. It’s baseball — a pastime involving a lot of chance. If [Ben] Zobrist’s ball is three inches farther off the line, I’m on the hot seat for a failed five-year plan. And I’m not even the best leader in our organization; our players are.”
Fortune says its list is a ranking of “people who have been particularly effective leaders. We cast a very wide net.” Epstein was among “literally hundreds of candidates.” Somehow, they sliced this list down to 50.
In backing up its choice of Epstein, Fortune wrote: “In his book The Cubs Way , Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer Tom Verducci details the five-year rebuilding plan that led to the team’s victory. The Cubs owe their success to a concatenation of different leadership styles, from the affable patience of owner Tom Ricketts to the innovative eccentricity of manager Joe Maddon. But most important of all was the evolution of club president Theo Epstein, the wunderkind executive who realized he would need to grow as a leader in order to replicate in Chicago the success he’d had with the Boston Red Sox. In the following passages, Verducci describes how a deeper understanding of important human qualities among his players—the character, discipline, and chemistry that turn skilled athletes into leaders—enabled Epstein to engineer one of the most remarkable turnarounds in sports.”
The pope made a decent charge, but settled for third — we’re hearing because of bullpen issues at the Vatican.
“The pope didn’t have as good of a year,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters today.
Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was a little surprised.
“I think the pope should be a little higher,” Bryant told reporters this morning. “That’s a little skewed there.
“Maybe [Epstein’s] head might get a little too big. He’ll be OK. He seems motivated to keep winning.”
In the sports world, LeBron James joined Epstein on the list, at No. 11. Cleveland takes another back seat to the Cubs.
Turns out, neither Trump nor Putin made the final 50. But noted White Sox fan — and Chicago recording artist — Chance the Rapper made it at No. 46.
Fortune’s Geoff Colvin writes on this year’s list: “Remember as you scan our list that we evaluate each leader within his or her own field of endeavor. Someone leading a small organization effectively may rank above someone far more famous nudging global issues. Our point isn’t to declare that, say, No. 7 on our list is ‘greater’ than No. 9. The point is that great leaders can be anywhere—at the helm of a giant corporation, running a rural college, or in a cramped office exerting influence through sheer personal energy.”
There are only seven repeats from last year’s list: Pope Francis (#3), Melinda Gates (#4), Jeff Bezos (#5), Angela Merkel (#10), Bryan Stevenson (#16), Justin Trudeau (#31) and Mark Benioff (#43).
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Trump is nowhere on the list, which gives the whole thing some credibility.
Gotta love Epsteins comment, he can't even get his dog to stop peeing in the house.
With a comment you have to like the guy.