George Steinbrenner, Mentor, Master Salesman and Marketer but most of all a LEADER

Did you know that George Steinbrenner’s original investment in the Yankees was only $168,000? He turned that into billions for investors, and helped vendors, marketers, and organisations of all types make hundreds of millions.  He gave the fans a riveting team to be proud of and emulate in a variety of ways.

No matter what you thought of Steinbrenner he was a master businessman.  He turned the Yankees into winners just 4 short years after becoming the owner (1973).  The Yankees won the world championships in 1977 and 1978 and again from 1996 through 2000 and in 2009. The Yankees won 11 American League pennants.

George was said to be a very complicated man – sometimes difficult and ruling with an iron hand and sometime giving to others without the PR benefit.  He had a nack for leading and picking winners because he himself was a winner and he understood execution and managing strong people. Very few individuals have the kind of success he had in sports or in business, but for those that do, they motivate masses.  While he was a mentor to some, he was a major pain to others but a leader he was non the less. No one has ever done what George did in the history of baseball. He changed a lot for the better and somethings for the worse according to his critics.

Goal setting, making commitments, confidence and drive are top qualities that George and other leaders share.  George was an expert at what he did, a real outlier.  Over the next few days, I’m sure we will be hearing a lot about George and his salesmenship, marketing abilities, business acumen but we will mostly hear about being a leader.

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