Captain America's biggest challenge is being a leader of the Avengers. A leader requires followers in order to be a leader, but if those followers are any good the leader is not going to have an easy go of it: The best followers are always working on getting better, and if the leader falls behind he may find himself left behind. It's why it sucks to be Captain America, who is essentially a non-powered human in a group of demi-gods, super-powered beings, and guys who wear armor that can take down tanks: He has to constantly practice to be better, and if not he falls behind. But let's look at what it takes to be a good follower.
Followers need to keep in mind that the group must always have their interests at heart, and as long as that is the case, then they have no problems with the group. That is, there is an unwritten contract between the leader and the led, in that he takes care of his people and they take care of him. A good leader must be trusted, but he needs to continually earn that trust. He should naturally expect that those who follow him do so to the Gates of Hell, but they need to have a reason to do so. Without trust and loyalty a leader has nothing, and he needs to realize that his followers are always, and should always, be looking for a sign of weakness.
A follower must gain something from the group. He needs to find a niche, an area where he excels, and get good at it. Once he is good at it, he needs to get great at it. If anything gets in his way of that, it needs to be dealt with. The others in the group need to help him do so, because his getting better helps the group get better as a whole. As each member gets better, so does the group; it is better able to deal with bigger challenges, both as a group and an individual. In this way the group needs to support its members. Look at what Captain America does: He makes it a point that those under receive the best combat training, and that everyone teaches the others what they know, making them better able to deal with whatever comes up.
By the same token, a follower needs to have a stake in the group's future. This means that he must have a voice in what happens, and that when he speaks he must be listened to. A follower may have needed information that affects the decision, or a perspective into the situation that may change how others deal with the situation. Even if he is wrong, he must be given the chance to be proven wrong, and not just by being yelled down but through a reasoned argument. If he is never allowed to voice an opinion different than the group's, then he has no reason to be with the group.
He should also be protected from abuse, both from outsiders and the group itself. This is not being given a hard time, or being poked, or even being pranked, as long as limits are allowed for; teasing someone in a bad mood is always a bad idea. If you're having a bad day, then your friends should get you out of it, and nt make it worse. If the group sanctions abuse towards its members, then its members have a reason to go elsewhere. Each member must also be protected by the group, but if the member is not protected then he may as well go elsewhere. Obviously the member must mention the abuse in order to receive protection, or the group is innocent of the charge of not protecting him, but once mentioned then the person should expect results. That protection is part of that unwritten contract, and needs to be enforced. Sure you may be an idiot at times, but you are nonetheless someone's idiot, and that someone had better keep own it.
Look at what Cap does: He gives the person a chance to protect themselves in order to ensure that there is a problem, but he has no problems coming to someone's rescue,especially a friend's, if he has to. He not only shows them how to defend himself, as he recognizes that sometimes he needs to fight his own battles, but also that sometimes he needs help to fight them. A group that does not fight for its own members, even its weakest ones, does not need to have members, and the individual owes no loyalty to it.
A good leader backs his followers and allows them to grow. He also allows them a voice in decisions, even if, especially if, that opinion is counter to his own. He also defends those under him to the best of his ability, be it from those outside or even inside the group. By doing so he earns the trust of those he leads, and maintains that trust; otherwise he is of no good to the group. Without that trust, his followers must feel free to take over leadership themselves, or to leave for other groups. Captain America does all of that, and as such is allowed to lead. Followers need to remember that they choose the leader, and that gives them power, one that needs to be respected by leaders. A follower that forgets that earns his abuse, and only has himself to blame.
Followers need to keep in mind that the group must always have their interests at heart, and as long as that is the case, then they have no problems with the group. That is, there is an unwritten contract between the leader and the led, in that he takes care of his people and they take care of him. A good leader must be trusted, but he needs to continually earn that trust. He should naturally expect that those who follow him do so to the Gates of Hell, but they need to have a reason to do so. Without trust and loyalty a leader has nothing, and he needs to realize that his followers are always, and should always, be looking for a sign of weakness.
A follower must gain something from the group. He needs to find a niche, an area where he excels, and get good at it. Once he is good at it, he needs to get great at it. If anything gets in his way of that, it needs to be dealt with. The others in the group need to help him do so, because his getting better helps the group get better as a whole. As each member gets better, so does the group; it is better able to deal with bigger challenges, both as a group and an individual. In this way the group needs to support its members. Look at what Captain America does: He makes it a point that those under receive the best combat training, and that everyone teaches the others what they know, making them better able to deal with whatever comes up.
By the same token, a follower needs to have a stake in the group's future. This means that he must have a voice in what happens, and that when he speaks he must be listened to. A follower may have needed information that affects the decision, or a perspective into the situation that may change how others deal with the situation. Even if he is wrong, he must be given the chance to be proven wrong, and not just by being yelled down but through a reasoned argument. If he is never allowed to voice an opinion different than the group's, then he has no reason to be with the group.
He should also be protected from abuse, both from outsiders and the group itself. This is not being given a hard time, or being poked, or even being pranked, as long as limits are allowed for; teasing someone in a bad mood is always a bad idea. If you're having a bad day, then your friends should get you out of it, and nt make it worse. If the group sanctions abuse towards its members, then its members have a reason to go elsewhere. Each member must also be protected by the group, but if the member is not protected then he may as well go elsewhere. Obviously the member must mention the abuse in order to receive protection, or the group is innocent of the charge of not protecting him, but once mentioned then the person should expect results. That protection is part of that unwritten contract, and needs to be enforced. Sure you may be an idiot at times, but you are nonetheless someone's idiot, and that someone had better keep own it.
Look at what Cap does: He gives the person a chance to protect themselves in order to ensure that there is a problem, but he has no problems coming to someone's rescue,especially a friend's, if he has to. He not only shows them how to defend himself, as he recognizes that sometimes he needs to fight his own battles, but also that sometimes he needs help to fight them. A group that does not fight for its own members, even its weakest ones, does not need to have members, and the individual owes no loyalty to it.
A good leader backs his followers and allows them to grow. He also allows them a voice in decisions, even if, especially if, that opinion is counter to his own. He also defends those under him to the best of his ability, be it from those outside or even inside the group. By doing so he earns the trust of those he leads, and maintains that trust; otherwise he is of no good to the group. Without that trust, his followers must feel free to take over leadership themselves, or to leave for other groups. Captain America does all of that, and as such is allowed to lead. Followers need to remember that they choose the leader, and that gives them power, one that needs to be respected by leaders. A follower that forgets that earns his abuse, and only has himself to blame.
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