How about you give a better definition of a "Pro"? Stating that "Creativity is the essence of the Pro" is not enough.

Is there anything else I can do for you? Jesus Christ.

Great list... do you ever feel like Gladwell stretches his arguments a bit though?

Some that crossed my path recently:
Josh Waitzkin (Master chess player, moved to Tai Chi and the study of learning)
http://tinyurl.com/493d7k

Matthieu Ricard (French molecular geneticist turned Tibetan Monk, happiness expert)
http://tinyurl.com/643hx6

Thomas Sowell (Conservative economist with a perspective rarely heard in the mainstream media)
http://tinyurl.com/arig

Kanye West (I hate him a lot of the time too, but his Glow in the Dark concert showed how special he can be at times)
http://tinyurl.com/6yftf2

Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Mentioned many times on this blog)

Umair Haque (same)

living and (or) dead?

Boy, you sure do treat your readers well!

If you want people to answer, you'd do well to make your question clear.

You keep me posted on how that sense of entitlement is working out for you. I'm sure your parents loved catering to it. It doesn't fly with me.

Yeah Ryan, I agree with Jermaine, maybe you could provide some examples to show what you mean. Oh wait...

I would add to the list:

Bill Gates

Back in 86 in an interview:
GATES: Our goals are very simple. We're going to create the software that puts a computer on every desk and in every home.

And 10 years later they were hauling in cash by the billions.

Charles Munger

All I know about him is that he wrote this: http://ycombinator.com/munger.html
And I think he works with Warren Buffett somehow.

And when I read it it cut right through everything, clear thought like this is so rare. That is the first bookmark on my browser, of a huge list.
The link via Paul Graham somehow.

A good definition of a pro is someone you have grudging respect for. You don't have to *like* them, but you respect their combination of creativity, integrity and polish.

That said, the soon to be late Professor Randy Pausch is my offering.
http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/news/index.html

Sun Tzu
For being probably one of the most enlightened figures I've ever read.

Miyamoto Musashi
For being a living legend, who was just another man.

Bruce Lee.
I consider him to have been a modern-esque version of both Musashi and Master Sun. They all came from different backgrounds, but individually preached a philosophy which I've come to admire and respect.

All of these men have changed the the thought and practice of an era in their own special ways, and I highly recommend reading their works with an open mind, and not to take them literally.

Joel Osteen. Don't laugh - he's a master at his craft.

Cormac McCarthy
Robert Caro
Daniel Day-Lewis
Lawrence Lessig
Steven Pinker

Is it fair to substitute "genius" for "pro." Every person on my list, and the ones on yours who I'm familiar with, I would call a genius because of the way they're able to envision data and ideas in completely new ways.

Cormac McCarthy
Robert Caro
Daniel Day-Lewis
Lawrence Lessig
Steven Pinker

Is it fair to substitute "genius" for "pro." Every person on my list, and the ones on yours who I'm familiar with, I would call a genius because of the way they're able to envision data and ideas in completely new ways.

@ jermaine and kim,
You are missing the point to this post. I think that Ryan wanted you to list who you consider a pro, which is up to your own definition. Kind of like a 'hero'. That definition is for the individual to define, classify and appoint. I have enjoyed this blog for a while but have never commented. I enjoy this site because it dares you to find out who you are and to question how you interpret life as you know it. To not live within the margins as prescribed by whoever, but to live life as you see it and experience it. Mr. Holiday, keep posting self reflective posts and making people question the status quo. You are very intellectual and I enjoy the posts. I am "friends" with you on facebook.

Have to agree with two of the abovementioned:

John Boyd
Robert Caro (brilliant)

Others:
Michael Jordan
Bruce Lee
George Carlin
Martin Scorsee

No pro list is complete without Madonna. That women knows pop music, knows whats cool, and knows exactly how to re-invent herself. Huge respect.

Ryan's definition of a professional stems from Steven Pressfield's The War of Art:

"Aspiring artists defeated by Resistance share one trait. They all think like amateurs. They have not yet turned pro.

The moment an artist turns pro is epochal as the birth of his first child. With one stroke, everything changes. I can state absolutely that the term of my life can be divided into two parts: before turning pro and after.

To be clear: When I say professional, I don't mean doctors and lawyers, those of "the professions". I mean the Profession as the ideal. The professional in contrast to the amateur. Consider the differences.

The amateur plays for fun. The professional plays for keeps.

To the amateur, the game is his avocation. To the pro its his vocation.

The amateur plays part-time, the pro full-time.

The amateur is a weekend warrior. The pro is there seven days a week.

The word amateur comes from the Latin root meaning "to love." The conventional interpretation is that the amateur pursues his calling out of love, while the pro does it for money. Not the way I see it. In my view, the amateur does not love the game enough. If he did, he would not pursue it as a sideline, distinct from his 'real' vocation.
The professional loves it so much he dedicates his life to it. He commits full-time."

Read it, if you haven't.
http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/0446691437/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product

Mine: Robert Moses

Laird Hamilton
http://youtube.com/watch?v=N6ozgoxRDVQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laird_Hamilton

He has his niche.
He is the best in the world at it (big wave surfing).
Plays for money (douchebagy contract with Abercrombie & Fitch for a second there and licenses his name).
He snowboards for a hobby.
Oh, I also hate him because of all this, so the fact that he has haters probably does well for his career.

Wil Schroter: serial entrepreneur and author of the book "Go Big or Go Home"

That phrase (go big or go home) to me defines the essence of what a professional is. To others, being a professional may mean honing their craft on a small scale with the utmost care. To me, however, a pro must Go Big in business and in life.

Stanley Kubrick: The Shining has so many layers of awesome.

Tina Fey

Yeah, I'm slightly obsessed, but try to argue against her. First (and I think only) female head writer on SNL, complete creative control and direction of one of the only network shows worth watching, singular vision, multiple media outlets... Girl doesn't mess around.

Baby Mama?

She didn't write that. She just starred in it with her friend.

Hey pro, it's spelled: Pros.