15 Leadership Quotes and Lessons from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

I had high hopes for the new Disney+ MCU series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and it did not disappoint!  The Captain America movies have always been my favorite Marvel films because they felt the most like legitimate action films.

Also, the Winter Soldier is my favorite Marvel character because what is there that’s not to like about a Super Soldier assassin versed with all tactical weaponry and fighting skills… and he does it all with a metal arm!!!

The plot has not revealed itself but we know there is a criminal group called the LAF, a terrorist organization with Super Soldiers called the Flag Smashers, Baron Zemo will be involved, and John Walker will likely not be a friend.  There is A LOT here to get excited about.

The following are 15 Leadership Quotes and Lessons from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier:

1. You Never Have To Recover From A Good Start – WandaVision was a slow-burn.  I actually wrote here about how disappointed I was after watching the first two episodes.  Now allow me to add that by the time the series had concluded, I found Wanda Maximoff to arguably be the most compelling character in the MCU.  Conversely, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier comes right out the gate with an incredible visual display of an arial extraction of a military liaison and battle between Sam Wilson and a criminal organization known as LAF.
2. Leaders Continually Innovate And Improve – The Falcon suit and its drone Red Wing had many new upgrades from the previous Marvel films.
3. You Cannot Manage A Problem, You Must Solve It – Georges Batroc, played by Georges St-Pierre and one of the villains from Captain America: Winter Soldier, was back as one of LAF’s lead operatives.  He is only listed as being in this one episode but I hope they continually revive his character.
4. Sam said, “Every time something gets better for one group, it gets worse for another.”
5. Symbols Are Nothing Without Great Leadership – Wilson said at a speech donating Captain America’s shield to the Smithsonian Institute, “Symbols are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning.”
6. You Can Never Move Into The Future Without First Touching The Past – Wilson added, “Today we honor Steve’s legacy but look to the future.”
7. Great Leaders Also Honor Those Who Have Come Before Them – Wilson concluded, “Thank you Captain America.  This belongs to you.” –
8. Great Leaders Are Experts At Their Craft – Whether it is Sam’s aerial ability or the Winter Soldier’s lethal flashback scene and his current ability to put away a dishonest Congresswoman, elite leaders possess an elite skill set.
9. You Must Learn To Monetize Your Skills – In the series’ initial episode, they address the question of how do superheroes actually earn a living.  We learn that “goodwill” is not enough to build a financial life on.  Sam has had to take contracting work with the Air Force.
10. The Worst Thing That Can Happen To A Leader – Leah, played by Miki Ishikawa, told Bucky, “You know how we call a guy whose wife died a widower, or if your parents die you’re an orphan.  There’s no word for someone whose kids die.  It’s like the worst thing that can happen.”
11. We Must All Sit Down To A Banquet Of Consequences – Bucky is trying to make amends with Lori Nakagema, played by Ken Takemoto.  Bucky murdered his son as a Hydra assassin in the scene mentioned previously.
12. A Leader’s Most Valuable Commodity Is Time – Sam said, “There’s no such thing as on-time.  You’re either early or late.  Pick one.”
13. A Leader Must Continually Improve – This is because everything around you is continually improving or getting worse and new skills are required.  The villain in this series will be a group called the Flag Smashers.  We will learn who is behind them and what there agenda is but here is what we know, it appears they are a group of Super Soldiers.
14. All Leadership Is Temporary.  Steward It Well While You Have It. – At the end of the episode, the government crowned John Walker as the new Captain America.
15. Play To Your Strengths – Martin Riggs of the Lethal Weapon series is one of the great action movie characters.  However, the suicidal weapon of destruction and mayhem we saw in the first movie was as domesticated as a house cat by the fourth film.  They destroyed one of the most compelling characters any of us have seen.  I pray Disney/Marvel does not do the same thing with the Winter Soldier.  I want to see the same character we saw in the second Captain America film in these episodes but fighting for good.

Once again, the initial episode of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier was incredible!  I can’t wait for episode 2 next Friday.

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