Recently a friend of mine and I were having a hearty debate about the post credit scenes in “Avengers: Endgame” where we discover that when Steve went back in time to return the stones he stayed to live his life all over again with Peggy. It’s a controversial topic in some circles (that’s another post entirely), but I pointed out that, one way or another, the world was going to have live without Steve Rogers eventually. It then turned into a discussion about a very real life problem: how do you carry on when a great leader leaves?
Now there are two different sides to explore in this line of inquiry; one is that of the person leaving and the other is that of those being left behind. Let’s start with the leader. Following Steve’s example, there are three key things needed in order to leave a legacy after your physical departure successfully:
- The humility to know you have contributed all you can situation and the ability to recognize when it’s time to move on.
- A chosen and recognized successor that is right for the current time who has the ability to uphold the legacy, but in their own unique way. This person will be able to give things to the role that you may not be able to.
- A plan to pass on, literally or otherwise, all the knowledge and tools to succeed.
I see leaders make a few key mistakes when it comes to succession planning. The first is not knowing when to move on. Whether it’s lack of awareness, nostalgia or a need to maintain control and power it is not good for the person or the organization to stay in a particular role for too long. This is how growth, both for the leader and the organization, stagnates. In worst case scenarios the organization is dragged backwards while the rest of the world continues to move forward into new ideas and new ways.
Additionally, not having the foresight to identity and equip a successor (and the organization as a whole) even if you realize it’s time to move on, or your organization decides it time, compounds this damage. People tend to hoard knowledge, sometimes purposefully, to the point where people left behind don’t know how do your job or continue your work with the same level of efficiency. Once again, this could be out of insecurity and ego or just lack of forward thinking.
But the mantle of Captain America lives on today well because Steve knew a few things including why Sam Wilson was the man for the job even if Sam wasn’t convinced is the first place.
Steve had lived in service of others his entire existence, but even more so after waking up from his 70 year nap. Removed from his original time, family, friends and love-of-his-life he threw himself into what he did best. But we all know, in real life and the movies, that isn’t sustainable. Not only that, the world is constantly changing which means we all need to recognize when it’s time for us to move onto other goals and let someone take over who is a better fit for the time and the present needs.
Steve saw that in Sam. Yes Sam fit the bill of “not a perfect solider but a good man” in his own way. But more than that, America needed someone like Sam Wilson to carry the mantle. Though it was, and will continue to be as the MCU progresses, a difficult and sometimes ugly relationship there is no doubt Sam could push the world to change in a way Steve would never be able to. Some have argued Steve didn’t think about what it would mean for Sam to carry the shield. I think he did and that’s why he decided Sam was the next Captain America. His last gift was the legacy of challenging people to see past their current ways of thinking and consider their fellow man in a different light (Please note this is NOT an MCU debate forum; I’m using a theory to make a leadership analogy. If you disagree there’s another platform for that).
And then he didn’t take the shield as a momento. He didn’t hoard it since it was made “for him.” He left for it Sam. He gave him the literal necessary tool kit to be Captain America.
Lastly, he believed in Sam even when Sam didn’t believe himself.
But there’s a second part to a leadership change that the leader only has so much control over and that is how the organization chooses to react. And as a society I don’t think we do this well at all. We don’t like change. We get attached to people and the way things “generally” work.
And in a society where we often see leadership fail on a daily basis we also don’t want to admit that even the best of us is only human. We can only carry the load for so long. We should continue to hold our leaders accountable in tangible ways, but we cannot expect them to continue to carry the burden of changing the whole system on their own. We have take some accountability on our end for our own actions and reactions to the world around us. I don’t blame Steve for wanting a little respite at all. I didn’t save the world from the brink of extinction and I’m tired!
Organizations also have to be open minded when it comes to new leadership and new ideas. “This is the way we’ve always done it” is probably one of the most detrimental phrases today. Sam had a hard time finding his own identity as Captain America. He was not Steve Rogers. He had a different lived experience and outlook, but he is still the right man for the right time.
The same can be said for many new leaders stepping into power. The world my generation grew up in different than the one the previous generations and the way things work has changed. There will always be friction but both sides can come to the table willing to be open minded when leadership changes occur.
One of the things I figured out early on in my career is how to make sure make work was sustainable beyond my tenure. If every time I left somewhere my influence and work fell apart then my impact is fleeting. I’ve learned ways to implement programs that can exist beyond my tenure (that will definitely be another post). And one day I hope someone more equip than I can build on that work and take it to the next level.
What would the mantle and legacy of Captain America be if it had ended with Steve Rogers? The fact of the matter is the world is a better place because that legacy lives on and will continue to make an impact in new ways through Sam Wilson. Both men prove in their own way that leaving a leadership legacy involves recognizing and contributing to something bigger than yourself in the service of others.
Or Captain America put it so eloquently “Symbols are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning.”
Special thanks to my dear friend Jay who inspired this piece, my own personal Nick Fury and “Watcher,” who looks out for everyone and reminds us all of the importance of good storytelling.