LeBron, Kasich Named To World's Greatest Leaders List

CLEVELAND, OH - LeBron James and Governor John Kasich were recently named to Fortune's list of the 50 Greatest World Leaders. James landed at number 11, one spot ahead of Kasich.

James is the only active athlete on the list. However, Theo Epstein, the general manager of the World Series-winning Chicago Cubs, tops the list at number one. Senator John McCain, ranked ninth, is the only elected American official who ranks above Kasich.

The top five of the list is composed of Epstein, Jack Ma, the executive chairman of the Alibaba Group, Pope Francis, Melinda Gates, the co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.

This is the fourth iteration of Fortune's 50 Greatest World Leaders list. The publication argues that in an era of "radical transparency" it's become increasingly important to acknowledge successful, honest leaders because it's so easy to spot the bad ones. The goal of the list, therefore, is to spot great leaders across the world, regardless of field.

That's why it's so unsurprising to see James on the list. After 13 years of dominating the NBA, three titles, four MVPs, and appearing in Hollywood films, James has remained mostly untarnished in the public eye. Other than the ignominious "The Decision" special, James has been a fan-favorite and engine for the NBA for almost a decade.

Kasich's inclusion is more surprising. The longtime governor of Ohio lost his 2016 presidential bid to eventual Republican nominee and President Donald Trump. Along the way, Kasich engaged in a public spat with Trump over the nature of his rhetoric and the acidic tone the Republican front-runner frequently adopted. It alienated Kasich to some hardcore Republicans, but presented him as a moderate to Independent voters and broadened his appeal. Fortune argues that by virtue of leading the bellwether state, Kasich's politics have been able to flourish on a national stage.

To see the full list of the World's Greatest Leaders, click here.

Photo of LeBron from Erik Drost, Flickr; Photo of Kasich from Governor Kasich's Office