important, Clint fiercely defends his integrity, as he demonstrated when Mahsa Saeidi-Azcuy was fired after Task 7. Okay, so he may need an image makeover. But Clint has the substance, the smarts and the leadership ability to be The Apprentice. The competition is his to lose.
I once considered Stephanie (1-0), one of my Final 4 picks, to be the most impressive performer among the women candidates. However, her stock has plummeted over the past several weeks, thanks to her obsession with getting Liza fired (without being able to point to a single instance of her failing to come through on a task) and her apparent willingness to put her individual ambition ahead of team success. She’s clearly tough, smart and ambitious, but I can’t imagine her inspiring loyalty and cooperation as a leader.
Liza (0-1) has proven to be extremely intelligent, strategic, perceptive and goal-oriented, as might be expected of a proven entrepreneur. She can still win this thing, but she needs a clear, indisputable victory as project manager, and she has to get past Stephanie (whose been head-gaming her and the other women throughout this competition), both on tasks and in the boardroom. To become The Apprentice, she’ll have to express herself and communicate her strengths clearly and forcefully, without losing control of her emotions, especially when she’s under attack.
Despite having 1-0 records as project managers, Steuart and Brandy still have not impressed me, though Brandy could end up being the last woman standing if Liza and Stephanie end up taking each other out. I really like Steuart, and would love to have him on my team–I think I’d even enjoy serving as his mentor. (Lesson One: Don’t ogle the female co-workers, colleagues, staff or clients, no matter how attractive they are). He has the polish, good ideas and personality to be a valuable team player. Steuart just needs more seasoning before I’d put him in a leadership role.
Who do you choose for your Final 4? And who will be the next apprentice and why? Leave a comment and let’s talk about it!