The Most Inspiring of Marvel Characters
Happy Birthday America! 2020 has been such a turbulent year so far. This has me thinking of a stable, centered, morally grounded character. Which of all the Marvel superheroes does this description fit best, you may ask? A hero synonymous with America’s Independence Day, Captain America himself! Whereas characters like Tony Stark and even the Mighty Thor seem so vulnerable to events surrounding them and are constantly reinventing themselves in order to keep up, Steve Rogers knows himself and knows what he stands for. Out of all the Marvel heroes, Cap stays true to himself no matter what world ending event is at hand.
Examining the Leadership Style and Values of Captain America
For today’s July 4th, Independence Day celebration, we’re taking a look at Steve Rogers’ best leadership qualities! Leading the Avengers is a high stress, high stakes kind of gig. If you’re in a leadership position yourself or have been in one, you can likely relate. After all, leading teams often brings up the same kinds of challenges no matter your field. Managing timelines, major decisions, and various team members all with different backgrounds, personalities, and opinions can get tricky and exhausting. Read on to see how Cap deals with these issues and see how we can learn and apply these lessons to our own lives!
Lesson 1 – Do what YOU think is right
As a leader, you’ll need to make important decisions and guide a team of people in a certain direction. What decision is the right one? What if people don’t like it? And what if they disagree with your decision? This can be a tough thing for newer leaders to come to terms with, especially if they’re now leading their peers and friends. Everyone wants to be liked.
In Captain America Civil War, we see the Avengers torn over the decision of whether to sign the Sokovia Accords. This is a document that will basically instill government oversight over the Avengers, and will determine where, when, and how they can operate in the future. As the group discusses the implications of such a document, Steve strongly disagrees with signing it, no doubt because of the events of Tony Stark and many of the others disagree. During the conversation, those on Tony’s side even make some excellent points. But after much discussion, Steve receives some important news, is called away, and things are left unsettled.
The simple truth is that people are going to second guess your decisions no matter what. More often than not, you won’t please everyone anyway. And so, the best course of action here is to take into account all the information you can, and then do what YOU truly think is right. Not what you think others will like. Not what you think will be the most common opinion. But what you think would be the right call. Afterall, you’re in the leadership position for a reason! Go ahead and trust your experience and intuition.
“Compromise where you can. Where you can’t, don’t. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say ‘No, you move’.”
Agent Peggy Carter, co-founder of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The point here is not that you always know best, nor is it that you shouldn’t seek others’ advice or opinions. But after discussion and gathering all info, you may still not have all the details you want in order to make a call. Steve faces either the wrath of the world’s governments or splitting up the Avengers, a team that’s become his family. Neither of these options is good, but after hearing some well-timed words by S.H.I.E.L.D. founder, Agent Peggy Carter, Steve knows what he must do, despite it being the harder, more complicated road. Make the right decision, not the easy or popular decision.
Lesson 2 – Build Your Team
Cap is a master at building teams. Teams where everyone included has a shared goal and complementary strengths. Teams that are greater than the sum of their parts. We see this throughout the history of the MCU, from ” rel=”sponsored nofollow”>Captain America: The Winter Soldier, to Cap’s side in Civil War, to the time travel teams in ” rel=”sponsored nofollow”>The Winter Soldier, Cap has a master spy, Natasha Romanov, on his side, as well as an experienced military combatant (Falcon) with an experimental exosuit at his disposal. When joining up with Nick Fury and Maria Hill to complete the team, Steve pointedly tells the others what the mission is really about, completely going against Fury’s goals.
They’re going to completely destroy the Project Insight apparatus, a trio of helicarriers capable of wiping out millions, because it’s the right thing to do. To leave them operational in the hopes they could be used by the good guys is far too dangerous and something Cap isn’t willing to risk. He’s so convincing in his argument that Maria Hill immediately agrees and even the guy everyone previously looked to for answers, Nick Fury, relents, noting that “I guess you’re calling the shots now, Cap.” Steve gets them all on the same page in a hurry, and with a clear objective. And now with Hill overseeing the overall op, they’re all perfectly suited to their tasks, with Black Widow operating in disguise, Sam Wilson taking to the air, and Cap steeling himself to face down the Winter Soldier himself.
Even when with the Avengers, Steve owns the leadership role. He knows what he brings to the table but also recognizes his shortcomings and the fact that he doesn’t need to do it all himself. He’s got Tony (and to a lesser degree Bruce) to fund and equip the team with all manner of technological wizardry. He’s got his wrecking balls, the guys who are his power players, in Thor and the Hulk. Black Widow and Hawkeye lend some humanity to the team, as well as years of covert ops experience and an understanding of geopolitics and criminal networks that would be lost on all the others. Later on, he’s got his specialty players in Antman and Scarlett Witch, as well as one of his most important connections in T’Challa and the kingdom of Wakanda. Cap doesn’t hesitate to make use of all his resources to get the job done.
Now, he didn’t necessarily recruit all of these players onto the team. It’s more about recognizing the various talents that the team has, allowing those team members to fulfill their potential, and growing and developing them over time. What hidden talents does your team or organization have? Every organization has people that complain when hard work needs to be done. Do you have that one guy who keeps a good attitude and makes everyone laugh when times are tough? Don’t overlook that!
Maybe you have someone who has graphic design experience, or is good at photography. Maybe one person sticks out as someone who communicates things clearly in a way that’s easy for others to understand. Take the time to think about your team members and their various strengths. Maybe even list them out to help you get a better idea of how to employ your people. As a bonus, people are happier and more productive when they feel they are being effective and contributing. And if you can get them all to see how their specific contributions help the team towards its overall goal, you’ll all be confidently moving in the same direction.
Lesson 3 – Lead by Example
This one’s kind of a no-brainer, lol. People want to follow someone who understands, who is also working hard, dealing with the same frustrations, and is willing to put themselves on the line. Cap is always leading the charge, or is at least on the front lines. He is not a “do as I say, not as I do” kind of guy. One of my favorite shots in Avengers Infinity War is the one of the Wakandan army charging into battle, with Cap and T’Challa out in front, leading the army. Leading by example.
Similarly, before the famous portals scene in Avengers Endgame, Cap is seen alone on the field of battle, nearly defeated by Thanos, his fellow Avengers incapacitated for the moment. He knows he can’t defeat Thanos and his entire army by himself, but he’s going to fight anyway, because it’s the right thing to do, the only thing he knows how to do. Steve desperately wants to do the right thing, to take action and make a difference. Who wouldn’t want to follow someone like that?
Be the person who takes risks for the greater good. Who works late and arrives early, not for the sake of furthering their own career, but for the good of the team. In doing so, you’ll gain the trust of those who work for you. It’s harder for people to argue against working hard and working late, when you’re working as hard or harder, and as long or longer.
Lesson 4 – Be Genuine (and genuinely care)
Steve Rogers believes in people, in individuals, and for the most part, they haven’t let him down. He says as much in his letter to Tony Stark, read towards the end of Civil War. But why do people not let Steve down? Maybe it’s because he genuinely cares. So many leaders (or managers) get so preoccupied with getting tasks completed, and on a certain timeline, their workers can begin to feel just like cogs in a machine. A number, to be used until they’re discarded for no longer being useful.
Steve respects others, and regularly shows it. Later on, they’re willing to go to bat for him. It’s not really that complicated. In the original Avengers movie, Bruce Banner is seen wandering around the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, looking lost. He knows he has a certain reputation for “making a mess” and expects that others view him the same way, as a monster that destroys everything. That’s why it’s such a nice breath of fresh air when he asks Steve Rogers “is that the only word?” in response to Steve telling him “word is you can find the cube”, and Steve responds, “only word I care about”.
After the incident in Lagos, near the beginning of Civil War, Wanda Maximoff is watching the news in her room at the Avengers compound. Steve knows what she’s dealing with, the disillusionment that even though she’s trying to do the right thing, innocent people have died. Steve mentors her in this moment, telling her that they try to save as many as they can. If they don’t, then maybe next time no one gets saved. It’s a nice moment that shows the two superheroes as regular people, dealing with complicated circumstances, regret, and maturity in recognizing the ugliness of war. Heady stuff.
Tony Stark later responds to unfolding events by trying to confine Wanda to the compound because things will be less complicated if there’s not another incident. Later in the film as different sides of superheroes form up to go against each other over differing ideologies, Wanda, unsurprisingly, sides with Cap, the one who actually took the time to talk to her and showed an interest in understanding what she was going through.
Get to know your people. Their families, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes. Not as something to check off a list, but because knowing them better will allow you to better help them, as people, and as members of your team. You’ll have to work to earn this credibility, there’s no easy short cut around it, and that’s why it’s so important.
Lesson 5 – Persevere
When working projects and timelines, you’ll inevitably run into setbacks and challenges. At these times you may be tempted to throw your hands up in the air in disgust. Don’t do it! Fist pump the air instead and realize that this is what you’re here for! This is the function of a leader, to take these challenges and find a way to guide people around them or through them.
Towards the beginning of Endgame, Scott Lang, otherwise known as Antman, comes to Steve and Natasha with an idea so crazy it just may work. Steve knows it’s out of his area of expertise and seeks out Tony Stark to try and get moving on this project. It doesn’t go well. Does Steve give up? No! They’re gonna need a really big brain for this, and so he sets out to find one, dammit, because stopping is just not an option.
Later on in the same film, Scott Lang is losing his mind because they’re in the past, the mission’s gone off course, and they may not get home at all, lest with the critical items they need. Even Tony seems to have resigned himself to their fate, but not Cap. His first instinct is to begin asking questions about other options, things maybe they haven’t tried, something. Anything is better than just wallowing in failure. Sure enough, from these prompts that Steve throws out, Tony realizes some important information and just like that they’re back in business.
When things go off the rails (or seem to), remember that this is what you’re here for. It’s why good leaders are needed. When crisis strikes, take a moment, remain calm, and work the problem. Your people need you and you ARE up to the task.
Conclusion
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this look at Captain America’s leadership skills! The Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have given us so many fun moments to see Cap in action, and I truly love trying to find the golden nuggets of wisdom that are revealed within the crazy, world threatening superhero action inherent in all these movies! Did I leave anything out? What other awesome leadership moments has Cap displayed? Sound off in the comments below! And if you enjoyed this article be sure to check out all of Captain America’s kick ass fight moves here!
