The heroic events of Avengers Endgame were only possible through the collaboration of dozens of superheroes, but there were about 14 million ways their efforts could’ve fallen short. I’m pretty convinced the Avengers wouldn’t have won if Captain America wasn’t there throughout the entire blip.
Cap’s character flaws are evident throughout the Avengers movies. His stubbornness, inability to compromise, and naive belief that people can always change caused a lot of conflict. Though a battle tested leader, he certainly had his dark side which, which was often fueled by ignorance. However, when it came time to direct the fight at Thanos, only one person said the long anticipated line of the esteemed group of heroes: “Avengers, Assemble.” It was Steve Rodgers, Captain America, the leader of the Avengers.
So after Cap helped saved the world, he went on a solo mission to return the Infinity Stones to their rightful place in history. Then he passed the torch, giving the shield, the symbol of the fight to protect people from evil, to Sam Wilson—The Falcon. It was more than a formality; Steve wanted Sam to be the next Captain America.
As one might suspect, when events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier begin, Sam has fully doubted the appointment. There could only ever be one Captain America, he thought. So he donated the shield to the Smithsonian. Days later, it was given to somebody else, someone who didn’t deserve it and wasn’t chosen by Steve.
The miniseries follows the journey of Sam and Bucky Barnes as they combat a revolutionary group who’s fighting for the rights of people displaced by the blip. We also follow as their alliance, once united by Steve, is suffering because of Sam’s surrender of the shield and Bucky’s traumatic past.
Without giving too much of the show away, I’d like to claim that the struggles of Sam and Bucky throughout these 6 episodes is filled with lessons in leadership—and how to respond when a leadership position is left vacant.
Here are 5 leadership lessons exemplified by the events of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier:
- If somebody you follow, admire, and respect sees leadership potential in you, you owe it to yourself and them to take their vision seriously. Their belief in you comes with a responsibility. You can choose to ignore that responsibility, but expect that to come at a cost.
- You must believe in yourself and your abilities to lead first. Only then will anybody be convinced enough to follow you.
- Leaders must make themselves trustworthy, reliable, and ready for the fight. They do what they can to make sure they’re prepared for the challenges ahead. Leadership is not a passive role; it’s active. You have to continue to train physically, mentally, and intellectually if you want to be a competent leader. If not, there’s nothing for you to place your confidence in.
- Leaders make sure everyone’s voice is heard. If people affected by critical decisions are left out of the conversation, this lack of consideration may threaten the ground on which the leader stands on. If you want to lead, you have to lead everyone.
- As a leader, you are always standing on the shoulders of giants. No matter who you are, the color of your skin, or the personal history of your people, many have gone before you. Many have suffered, sweat, bled, and died so you can stand here in your leadership position and have the privilege to lead others. Those people, all of them, must be considered. An ignorant leader is a danger to society and themself.
There are always lessons to be learned from the shows, movies, books, and stories we watch or read. But the most important lesson to be learned from this show was in the conversations in the final two episodes about what it means to be black in America. It’s exciting to see Marvel finally attempt to tackle these important conversations. I’m anticipating what other social issues the Marvel team will address in the future.
Cheers, and happy learning.