The 5E's of Fanatical Leadership
Sep 13, 2025
I recently had the privilege of hearing Jesse Cole, the energetic owner of the Savannah Bananas, speak at the International Maxwell Leadership Conference. If you don’t know Jesse, he’s the man in the bright yellow tuxedo who has completely reinvented the way people think about minor league baseball and he’s taking the nation by storm. He was even on the Tonight Show recently.
Instead of focusing only on the game, Jesse and his team focus on the experience. He calls it the 5 E’s of Creating Amazing Fans, and they apply not only to baseball, but to leadership, business, and life.
Here’s how leaders like you and me can put them into practice:
1. Eliminate Friction
Jesse followed Walt Disney’s example of constantly asking: How can we make this easier, smoother, and more fun for our fans?
He eliminated the long, slow, often-boring grind of minor league baseball and turned it into a fast-paced, two-hour experience packed with entertainment.
Leadership Action: Ask yourself: Where are my people frustrated? Is it in endless meetings? Complicated approval processes? Lack of clear communication? Remove barriers that waste their energy. Simplify the systems, shorten the meetings, and clarify the mission. When you make life easier for your team, they’ll have more energy to bring their best to your audience.
2. Entertain Always
The Savannah Bananas don’t just play baseball; they create a show. From dancing players to choreographed skits, fans leave with stories they can’t wait to share.
Leadership Action: You don’t need a yellow tux to entertain, but you can make your environment more engaging. Add creativity to team meetings. Kick off with a surprising question, celebrate wins in fun ways, or create traditions that people look forward to. Make your workplace somewhere people want to be, not just have to be.
3. Experiment Constantly
Jesse’s team tries 10–15 new things at every game. Not all of them work but the willingness to experiment keeps the energy fresh and the fans engaged.
Leadership Action: What small experiment can you try this week? Maybe it’s switching up how you deliver feedback, launching a new brainstorming format, or trying a 5-minute “gratitude round” at the start of a meeting. Don’t wait for perfection; test, learn, and adjust. Innovation isn’t born from playing it safe.
- Engage Deeply
When the Bananas played in NFL stadiums, Jesse wanted even the people in the nosebleeds to feel special. His team hand-wrote cards and left them on every seat. That’s engagement at scale; doing for one what you wish you could do for many.
Leadership Action: Identify one person this week you can go above and beyond for. Write a personal note. Pick up the phone to say thank you. Celebrate a small, unseen effort. True engagement isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about intentional connection.
5. Empower Action
Jesse says: “Stop standing still and start standing out. Swing hard in case you hit it.” He reminds us that anything is possible when you care deeply and take chances.
Leadership Action: Empower your team to try bold moves. Don’t punish every failure. Celebrate the courage it took to act. Challenge them to take one daring step this month that gets them out of the comfort zone. Remember: fans cheer loudest for leaders who play all out.
Final Thought
Jesse Cole didn’t just reinvent baseball. He reimagined how to create joy, connection, and loyalty by living out these 5 E’s.
As leaders, we can do the same. Eliminate friction. Entertain always. Experiment constantly. Engage deeply. Empower action.
The result? Not just satisfied employees or clients but raving fans who believe in your vision and want to be part of it.