Captain America: Brave New World is the fourth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series. Sadly, Chris Evans does not reprise his role as the original Captain America. However, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has taken on the mantle that Steve Rogers (the original Captain America) passed on to him. We also see Danny Ramirez return as Joaquin Torres/The New Falcon.
In Captain America: Brave New World, a threat looms in the background. An assassination attempt has been made on President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) by Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly). This assassination attempt triggers a series of events that will change the MCU forever.
Add in the fact that they finally referenced the events that happened in The Eternals with the Celestial Island in the ocean (and the discovery of Adamantium, meaning the X-Men may soon be introduced!); the movie becomes a lot more exciting.
As Sam tries to figure out why Isaiah attempted to assassinate the president, he’s taken on quite the journey. He discovers previous Marvel movie characters have returned. There may even be a deeper conspiracy at hand. All of these events lead to one thing. The confrontation between Captain America and the Red Hulk.
This movie isn’t just for our entertainment, though. Captain America: Brave New World is packed full of leadership lessons for those willing to look. That’s why we bring you Reel Leadership, to help you combine the world of entertainment with leadership. Let’s look at those lessons today!
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Captain America: Brave New World
1. Great leaders are still concerned with their families:
Thaddeus Ross is at a Presidential rally. He’s getting ready to go on stage when an aide comes to talk to him. She tells him he’ll have to wait a minute.
Ross asks the aide a question. The question wasn’t about the rally or anything going on that day. Ross asks about his wife and his daughter Betty (Liv Taylor).
He cared about them. He was wondering about them. He was concerned for them.
Leading can distract us. It can take us away from those we love.
One thing we must never let our duties as leaders do is take away our care or love of our families. They’re important to us. They’re critical for our success.
Remember, always be thinking of your family.
2. Thunderbolt Thaddeus Ross:
The only way for us to overcome them is together.
One of Ross’s remarks during his rally was the above quote. He knew there were threats he had to face. That the country had to face.
How did he see the country overcoming those threats? Together. Through unity.
A united organization is a powerful organization. It’s the way great organizations can overcome extreme odds.
Find ways to unite your team. To unite your team, you may:
- Hold weekly company rallying points
- Rewarding examples of great teamwork
- Inviting collaboration in major and minor projects
You can overcome many common and uncommon issues when you unite your teams.
3. Delegation allows you to be in multiple places at one time:
Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) was one of the minor villains in the film. He initially appears as a member of the Serpent Society. They had stolen a canister and were trying to sell it to the highest bidder.
The canister was taken by one of the terrorists. Sidewinder split from the group and went his own way. How would Captain America stop both?
Through a form of delegation.
Torres asks Captain America if he can step in… If he could go after the canister. Captain America hesitantly agrees to let Torres go.
Have you ever needed to be in two places at once? Were you frustrated you couldn’t? But what if you could?
You could delegate certain situations to people you trust. You can ask them to step in for you, do the job, and make sure things get done.
Delegation allows you to be in multiple places at once and get more done.
Why aren’t you delegating more?
4. Thaddeus Ross:
I’m coming up on my first hundred days. They’re going to define me.
Ross had gone to his wife’s grave. There, he was remembering his beloved wife.
Leila Taylor (Xosha Roquemore) was there as well. Ross begins to tell her of his hopes. Then, he brings up that he’s been president for 100 days.
He knew those first days would define him. The actions he took, the events that occurred, and more.
Those are defining days.
What about your first 100 days as a leader? What did you do during them?
Your first 100 days will define you as well. Make sure you have a plan for them to be as effective as they can be.
5. Commemorate important events:
Isaiah, Joaquin, and Sam had been invited to the White House. Joaquin had never been. He saw this as an important event.
He gets the three men to gather around. He snaps a photograph. He wanted something to commemorate their attending a White House event.
Organizations have important events as well. It may be hitting a sales goal, retaining a certain number of employees, or launching a new product.
Do you commemorate events such as these? You need to.
By remembering the good old days, you can look toward the future. You can see there are bright days ahead.
Learn how to commemorate important events.
6. You’re not the last leader:
Ross tells Sam that he’s not Steve Rogers. He has no powers. He’s in a dangerous position. Given all this, Sam shouldn’t be in the kind of positions that he’s being put in.
Sam could have taken this rebuke from the president hard. He didn’t. He knew he wasn’t Steve Rogers. He also knew something else. He could do the job regardless.
I’ve seen so many leaders get caught up in what the last leader did. Or maybe didn’t do. They wanted to be like the leader who came before.
But you can’t be that leader. You’re not them. You have different life experiences, ideas, and motives.
Stop trying to be like the people who came before you. Be you.
7. Isaiah Bradley:
The last thing I want is for this to touch you.
After Isaiah tried to kill President Ross, he fled. Sam was able to catch up with him, and they talked.
Isaiah couldn’t remember what happened. He had been controlled by Samuel Sterns/The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson). But he wasn’t the only one. There were other people who attempted to kill the president that day as well.
As the two talk, Isaiah tells Sam he doesn’t want his issues to affect Sam. He wants Sam to be free of any shame, guilt, or accusations that may come from his actions.
Leaders are protectors. They do their best to ensure their negative actions don’t touch the people they lead. Make sure you’re doing your best to have your people be in the clear for the actions and decisions you make.
8. Isaiah Bradley:
Safety ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.
The Serpent Society was coming for Isaiah in the prison. A prison guard told Isaiah he was being moved to solitary confinement.
Isaiah wasn’t keen on this idea. He’d been locked in solitary for years. He’d been mistreated and abused by the prison complex. He wasn’t going to go back.
The guard told Isaiah it would be safe for him. Isaiah scoffed at this. He knew safety wasn’t always safe.
There are leaders who like to play it safe. They believe things will be good if they take extreme caution, calculate every move, and never make a mistake. They’re proven wrong regularly.
Safety isn’t always safe. Safety can be dangerous in certain situations.
Make sure you’re not being safe just to avoid doing the hard work of leadership.
9. Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan):
Steve game them something to look up to. You gave them something to aspire to.
Bucky knew Steve Rogers quite well. He fought alongside him for years. He saw how people looked up to Steve.
The people knew they could never be him. Yet, they loved him for what he did for them.
Sam, on the other hand, wasn’t Steve. He had no super soldier serum, superpowers, or anything like that. Sam had a different effect on people.
When people looked at Sam, they saw what they could be. He was aspirational.
As a leader, people aspire to do and be what you are. They want someone relatable, not someone they can’t be.
Your humanity will go a long way in connecting with those you lead. Don’t be afraid of it.
10. Sam Wilson:
I think you’re trying to change. Now it’s time to prove it.
Sam and the Red Hulk face off. It’s a rock ’em, sock ’em beat down for the two. One is a rage-fueled Hulk. The other is a simple man trying to do the right thing. The battle almost kills both of the men.
Sam is rescued after the Red Hulk has been knocked down. They thought it was for good. It wasn’t. The Red Hulk was rising again.
What does Sam do? He tries to reason with the Red Hulk/Thaddeus Ross. He tells him that he’s seen what Ross has been trying to do. He believes in him. He believes Ross wants to change.
It’s now time for Ross to prove it.
When you want to change things, you can’t talk about it. You have to take action. You have to prove you want change.
That means you have to step into it. Your actions must change. The way you treat people must change. The behaviors around you must change.
Do you truly want change in your life and your organization? It’s time to prove it.
