This paper will analyze what makes Steve Rogers as displayed in the movie “Captain America – the first avenger” directed by Joe Johnson in 2011, a leader. This will be examined with current literature about various leadership styles. The author used the model of Bass & Avolio who described the transformational leadership style. After evaluating if Captain America is a transformational leader this paper will continue and analyses the character of the fictional person and determine why he used his abilities for protecting humanity from evil and not used it against it. For this, the paper refers to the BKD Model by Campbell (2004).
The movie “Captain America: The First Avenger” is based on a comic book called “Captain America I” which was published in 1941. The book showed Captain America fighting Nazi Germany and predicted the participation of the United States at World War II. The authors claim that Captain America was created to enhance the patriotic spirit of young Americans during that time (Weiner, 2009). Before becoming Captain America, Steve Rogers was a thin, small and frail young man driven by the desire to enlist for the military and contribute his part in World War II. Despite several tries under different aliases the military refused to draft him due to his bad physical condition and numerous diseases. In his last attempted to enlist for the army, the scientist Dr. Abraham Erskine who was the leading scientist for the secret super soldier project, gave Rogers a chance to become a soldier. After attending a training camp, Erskine administered a serum to Rogers which transformed the little and frail young man into a muscular and tall super soldier. This was the birth of the character Captain America. (Johnston, 2011).
Leadership is a very broad topic and it appears that back in the early 1970’s every leadership writer had its own definition. Researchers recorded in 2008 on a Google search on leadership 168,000,000 results and by 2011 the amount increased to 418,000,000. Thus, it can be argued that the amount of definitions for leadership will multiply in the following years. (Iszatt-White, Saunders, 2014).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical background
3. Analysis
4. Conclusion
5. Sources
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the leadership qualities of Steve Rogers in the 2011 film "Captain America: The First Avenger" by applying transformational leadership theory and the U.S. Army's "Be, Know, Do" model to evaluate his character, motivations, and ethical conduct.
- Application of Bass & Avolio’s transformational leadership model.
- Analysis of U.S. Army leadership values and the "Be, Know, Do" framework.
- Distinction between authentic and pseudo-transformational leadership.
- Evaluation of character development from Steve Rogers to Captain America.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Analysis
Captain America shows evidence that they created a main character who displays the quality of a transformational leader. This is shown by several occasions during the movie.
For example, when Dr. Erskine asks him if he wants to kill Nazis, he answered “I don’t want to kill Nazis, I just don’t like bullies, I don’t care where they are from” (Johnston, 2011). He showed his strong ethical believes that no one on this planet should live in fear. He believes in justice and liberty and wants to join the US Army and the ongoing war in Europe to fight the Nazi regime and protect humanity from evil. This was shown with his statement “I want to save lives, it’s not about me, it is about save lifes” (Johnston, 2011).
He always stands up against injustice wherever it may be, this is shown when Steve Rogers went to the cinema. Before the movie was about to start, the cinema operator played scenes from the ongoing war in Europe to remember the fallen soldiers. Unfortunately, a cinema visitor did not care about the war and did not pay his respect to the fallen soldiers. Steve defied the disturber several times to be quiet and did not care that he was bigger, taller and stronger than him. The result was that he was beat up in an alley behind the cinema. (Johnston, 2011). Even after suffering several punches he did not give up and answered, “I could do this all day” (Johnston, 2011). This depicts his believe in justice and once again his strong ethical believes.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the objective of analyzing Steve Rogers' leadership style in the movie "Captain America" using the transformational leadership model and the BKD Model by Campbell.
2. Theoretical background: Outlines the definitions of leadership, the U.S. Army's leadership model, and the core components of transformational leadership as described by Bass and Avolio.
3. Analysis: Evaluates Steve Rogers' actions throughout the film against transformational leadership traits and specific U.S. Army values to determine his effectiveness as a leader.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes that Captain America serves as an authentic transformational leader because he possesses inherent values of altruism and compassion, which he uses for the greater good.
5. Sources: Lists the academic literature, films, and theoretical frameworks utilized for the analysis.
Keywords
Captain America, Transformational Leadership, U.S. Army, Steve Rogers, Leadership Style, BKD Model, Bass & Avolio, Ethics, Moral Integrity, Patriotism, Super Soldier, Character Development, James MacGregor Burns, Values, Attributes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper evaluates the leadership qualities of the character Steve Rogers in the film "Captain America: The First Avenger" using academic leadership theories.
Which theoretical framework is used to evaluate the character?
The author primarily utilizes the transformational leadership model developed by Bass and Avolio, alongside the "Be, Know, Do" (BKD) model defined by the U.S. Army.
What is the main goal of this analysis?
The goal is to determine if Captain America functions as an authentic transformational leader and to explain why he consistently uses his abilities for the protection of humanity rather than personal gain.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The paper uses qualitative film analysis and literature review, contrasting the subject's behavior against established leadership definitions and military values.
What core components of leadership are discussed?
The analysis covers the four "i's" of transformational leadership: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.
What are the key themes explored in the work?
Key themes include ethical integrity, the distinction between authentic and pseudo-transformational leadership, selfless service, and the impact of values on leadership development.
How does the author distinguish between Captain America and the Red Skull?
The author argues that while both exhibit transformational traits, Captain America is "authentic" due to his altruism, whereas Red Skull is "pseudo-transformational" because he is manipulative and self-centered.
Why is the "Be" section of the BKD model specifically mentioned?
The author focuses on this section because it defines the fundamental values and attributes that form a soldier's character according to U.S. Army standards.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2020, What makes Captain America a Leader, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/967000
