Think of A Leader You Admire
In today's business world, there are so many excellent leaders I truly admire. They led their company to even better performance. However, I will discuss this topic with a popular virtual character from a series of movies, Captain America. People who watched and love his movies will know that he can be a great leader.
A Brief Story about Captain America
Captain America came from a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character. Produced by Marvel Studios. According to the story, during World War II, Steve Rogers, a frail man, is transformed into the super-soldier Captain America and must stop the Red Skull from using the Tesseract as an energy source for world domination. Before he becomes Captain America, Steve Rogers is small and nearsighted and is deemed unfit for military service in World War II. But his heart leads him to a top-secret experiment that turns him into the hunky super-soldier we all know. In New York City, Steve Rogers is rejected for World War II military recruitment due to his various health and physical problems. Coincidentally, Dr. Abraham Erskine(a scientist who created the original Super Soldier Serum) overhears Rogers' conversation with Barnes about representing his country in the war. Dr. Erskine admired Rogers's personal traits to be a great leader. Then, Rogers was recruited into the Strategic Scientific Reserve as part of a super-soldier experiment. Although the generals were unconvinced by Erskine's claims that Rogers is the right person for the procedure, start to relents after seeing Rogers jump on a grenade to save his comrades. After Rogers emerges from the experiment taller and more muscular, he became a super-soldier.
What Traits Related To A Great Leader Does Steve Rogers Have?
So, what makes Captain America a great leader? The first one is Bravery, a key characteristic in military leaders. Rogers jumped on a grenade to save his comrades, even though it was so dangerous. Secondly, Rogers, as a great leader, doesn't rely on their titles to command others. He uses his personal power and abilities to lead. Thirdly, Rogers values diversity and is able to balance world-sized egos and powerhouse monsters, finding the value in each of his teammates regardless of their background, powers, or personality. In Captain America: Civil War, Rogers refuses to give up on his childhood friend and eventually is able to bring him onto his own team. Moreover, Rogers has incredible integrity and conviction. He wants to fight the Nazis and refuses to stop trying to join the military. He focused on what he believed is justice and leads not only with words but also with action. Rogers always be the first into the fray and always the last to retreat from the battlefield. In many movies, Captain America acts on several occasions as a role model and puts the needs of the other soldiers above his own.
So, let's summarize the traits he has that are consistent with what we learned as an effective leader.
i. He created a shared vision of the future and then inspired other heroes to help achieve that vision. Coincidentally, it matches the definition of leadership, the act of influencing others to work toward a goal.
ii. He was an informal leader who led people without a formal position of authority but demonstrate leadership by influencing others through personal forms of power.
iii. He does not rely on the use of force to influence people. Instead, other heroes willingly adopt his goal as their own goal.
iv. He is conscientious, organized, takes initiative, and demonstrates persistence in his endeavors.
v. He has an openness to experience, demonstrates originality, creativity, and is open to trying new things.
vi. Self-Esteem. Leaders with high self-esteem support their subordinates more and, when punishment is administered, they punish more effectively. In Captain America: Civil War, Rogers refuses to give up on his childhood friend and eventually is able to bring him onto his own team. His action shows greater levels of self-confidence and this affects their image in the eyes of his followers.
vii. He has integrity. He is effective as a great leader who tends to have a moral compass and demonstrate honesty and integrity.
However, there are some traits related to a great leader he does not have.
i. EQ. Rogers seems to be very emotional sometimes. His ability to control his own emotions and understand other people’s emotions and their internal motivation is somewhat weaker I think.
ii. He is not an extrovert. He is an energetic person, assertive, and demonstrates self-confidence, but is not sociable. He is probably described as a quiet leader, not totally an extrovert one.
Reference
Wise, S. (2018, April 30). Why captain america is the leadership role model you didn't know you needed. Inc.com. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from https://www.inc.com/sean-wise/why-captain-america-is-leadership-role-model-you-didnt-know-you-needed.html
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