Cubs President Theo Epstein Tops ‘Great Leaders’ List

Theo Epstein answers questions during the 2016 League Championship Series. Image by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

By Daniel J. Solomon March 24, 2017

We Americans do not much trust our politicians, but we still like our sportsmen. And we even love, apparently, the men who lead our sports franchises, like Theo Epstein, the Jewish president of the Chicago Cubs. This year, Epstein is at the head of Fortune’s list of “Great Leaders,” winning praise for his role in the Cubs winning their first World Series ever.

According to Fortune, Epstein was able to develop “a deeper understanding of important human qualities among his players — the character, discipline and chemistry that turn skilled athletes into leaders” and that allowed him to “engineer one of the most remarkable turnarounds in sports.” Their success last fall came as the culmination of a five-year effort to turn the team around. Epstein had previously been with the Boston Red Sox as they ended an 86-year World Series drought.

In addition to Epstein, other prominent Jews made the list, including Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen and AirBnB founder Brian Chesky.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO