It isn't every day that Amazon beats Apple at something, but according to Fortune Magazine's list of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos beats Apple CEO Tim Cook by a landslide. Bezos is the top-ranked tech executive on the list, coming in at number 10, while Cook falls way back at number 33.
So, why is Bezos ranked above Cook in the leadership standings, when Apple tops Amazon as the number one most admired company in the world? Well, it's simple. Bezos is often praised as a risk taker and an innovator, while Cook is typically criticized for being too cautious and sticking to what works, rather than creating the future.
Bezos founded Amazon and built it from the ground up, while Cook inherited his job from Steve Jobs. Bezos acquires companies that are outside of the tech industry, like the Washington Post, but Cook is often criticized for making Apple to insular and closed. Under Cook's leadership, Apple hasn't made too many acquisitions, nor has it invested much in research - at least, not in comparison with other tech companies like Amazon and Google.
In its assessment of Bezos, Fortune describes him as a visionary and an inspirational leader a la Steve Jobs.
"Bezos is an extremely rare combination of visionary and master builder -- 20 years ago seeing something no one else could see and then turning it into the world's No. 2 Most Admired Company (after Apple) on our list, with a recent market value of $174 billion," Fortune wrote. "Prospective employees are still drawn to his vision; though he's highly demanding, thousands aspire to work for him. That's one way to know a great leader when you see one."
Meanwhile, the magazine describes Cook as a fighter and a winner, who marches to the beat of his own drum. Fortune praises Cook for carrying on Apple's legacy of high performance in a time of difficulty for tech companies.
"Following Steve Jobs has arguably been the toughest corporate leadership assignment in decades, yet Cook has carried it off with mostly quiet aplomb," Fortune wrote. "In 2½ years he has kept the parade of winning new products marching (the Retina display, new operating systems, the iPhone 5), and he is bringing in Burberry's savior, Angela Ahrendts, to run Apple's retail stores. That's thinking different."
Both Cook and Bezos are undoubtedly strong leaders, but it's clear that Fortune sees a big difference between these two men. Bezos leads Amazon into new territory, even after two decades of leadership. Cook seems to be carrying Jobs' legacy and making subtle changes here and there to keep things fresh. It's obvious that Bezos is going sky diving, taking huge leaps of faith with Amazon and Cook is cross country skiing, gliding along a well-marked path.
Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma and Susan Wojcicki of YouTube also made the list.
