Chimpira Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... A team leader can ask for advice from his team. I used to do this one quite a bit when I first was elected team leader of my first super hero group. If we had the time I would ask all the members what they thought about the situation that we were just about to leap into. After hearing their views on the matter I would come up with my decision and we would go with that. I did that mainly to make them aware that I cared about what they thought and had their interests in heart. When I had to make snap decisions they backed me up without hesitation. I got a lot of jokes thrown my way from the group but none of them had to do with my leadership abilities. Thinking about that now, makes me smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Pay attention. Know what's going on. Know the battleground, know the enemy, know your team, know yourself. Remember, they're counting on you to see the "big picture." People will listen to you if they realize that you're usually right, that when you don't know you ask, and that when you're wrong you admit and try to fix it. But start by being right as often as possible. I was playing a leader once; we had split up to invade a villainous base, but stayed in touch with communicators. The "brick" had no idea why I suddenly ordered "Crouch down right where you are, put a hole in the floor, and jump through it!" until he threw himself through the floor and right into a battle one of our teammates was losing, until the reinforcements fell on top of some of the bad guys. Not that I'd had a problem before, but after that, it didn't matter how absurd an order sounded, no one stopped to ask "why." They trusted there was a reason. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary, on the other hand, always talks back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jomster Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Two words: Herding Cats I'd have to agree, in fact I'm amazed so many people play with assigned team leaders at all. Interesting reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRavenIs Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... If you have to....be the one to take the big hit. If you go down from it but a teamate is able to still fight....do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... "Things i've learned playing team leader" ? That I am REALLY bad at it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Typist Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Don't talk about the fact that you are the team leader. If you have been elected, then you are stating the obvious and might look like you are on an ego trip. If it is informal, unspoken, or unrealized: you can make people do stupid stuff "just because you declared yourself boss," when really things were working fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Anomaly Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Being the team leader can 'sneak up' on you. The first Dr. Anomaly knew of his being the "team leader" was when one of the other members of the Millennium Knights off-handedly referred to him as the team leader when speaking to the press. His immediate reaction was "Huh?!? When did that get decided, and why wasn't I asked?!?" but fortunately he had presence of mind enough not to say that out loud in front of the press. (Yes, Dr. Anomaly did organize the team, though he'd insist it "just sort of happened" and wasn't anything he'd planned in advance. Yes, he does tend to be the one who analyzes the situation and realizes what, at least in broad principles, needs to be done [there's that 43 INT at work again] but really doesn't feel those things make him a 'leader' any more than being the money behind the team does. Everyone else on the team, though, seems to disagree with this sentiment. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weldun Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... If someone has a good idea, run with it. Also, if someone deviates from the plan, don't chew them out straight away and see where they're going with it. If it was a bad move, chew them out after the action. Just because you're the team leader, it doesn't mean all the ideas should be yours. Someone else might have a flash of inspiration and might not want to communicate it to you for fear of having the opposition counter whatever they now have planned, especially if the GM is tight on table-talk. People who play these games are generally "ideas-people", so will occasionally come up with something special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxiekins Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Spend points on a Base... Seriously... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Somewhere in the worlds is a language, probably more than one, where the word for "Leader" means "One who worries for all." Paraphrased from Robert Asprin Everything I need to know I learned from a palindromedary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Omega Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Being the team leader can 'sneak up' on you. The first Dr. Anomaly knew of his being the "team leader" was when one of the other members of the Millennium Knights off-handedly referred to him as the team leader when speaking to the press. His immediate reaction was "Huh?!? When did that get decided, and why wasn't I asked?!?" but fortunately he had presence of mind enough not to say that out loud in front of the press. That's the most fun way for it to happen. First time one of my PC's was ever team leader it just kind of happened and it took a couple of adventures for me to realize it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weldun Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... These are usually the best leaders, as there's generally no hard feelings, as opposed to when someone claims that role (even when someone desperately needed to). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucleon Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Yes! Leaders! The rarest breed of players. Nucleon would really like to have a couple in his games; When He plays, it isn't long before everybody looks to the floor... time to shout orders, then. Nucleon's got a few tips, but they're all about His type of leadership. He hopes he won't offend anyone by cramming many comments in a single post about this rarity. Here we go: Be Firm! Take Charge! Even when you're not so sure. The apparence of being a leader is more important than the leadership itself. Get to know all of your team mates' capacities! To use them at their full potential. Delegate! Nothing pleases a non-leader like being temporary in charge of something. See them accomplished said task with zeal for you. Underline their successes. Know how to pilot the damn plane and operate the consoles! If you don't, nobody will. Organise wrap-up sessions after an adventure to pick and correct the team's mistakes, as well as to congratulate individual actions. Force all the others to voice their opinions, beginning by the most shy. Take the blame! Not only it is leader-like, but tragically heroic as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucleon Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Aaargh! Verily, Nucleon does have a lot to say on this subject. Wrestlingeek, you're repped, my friend. Encourage Co-ordination by buying co-ordination only Find weaknesses on two others (or more) and such sweets. Coerce other players to buy co-ordination CSLs. Practice against gargantuan odds to squeeze it out. Put the team before you unless you're leading super-vilains. If that's the case, promise them riches and glory while using them like the disposable tools they are. State the Obvious: No, wait; That's the team's yesman's job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted May 6, 2006 Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... There are two aspects of leadership. Know what you're good at, but try to cover both adequately. The intellectual leader leads because he thinks; he's the man with the plan, and if he gets away with telling everyone what to do, it's because they've realized he really DOES know what they SHOULD do to maximize the team's goals. The charismatic leader leads by example and inspiration; people follow him out of admiration, and because he draws out the best in them. He cares, communicates that caring, and causes others to care as well. Obviously, the greatest plan in the world is no good if you can't convince people to follow it; and just as obviously, an awe-inspiring role model with no real clue could get everyone killed following some doomed hare-brained scheme. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary helps me see both sides Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Typist Posted May 6, 2006 Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Never get in a fight with a truly disruptive PC. Instead, posion their next meal. Move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEFCON Clown Posted May 6, 2006 Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... *Cough*This isn't Things I've Learned Playing Villian Team Leader.*/Cough* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Typist Posted May 6, 2006 Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... *Cough*This isn't Things I've Learned Playing Villian Team Leader.*/Cough* Sometimes hard actions are necessary for the greater good. Besides, the kind of character I am talking about is typically a THREAT to the team because of his behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iuz the Evil Posted May 6, 2006 Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 Re: The Things I've Learned Playing Team Leader... Being a "hard nosed drill sergeant type" may sound good on paper, but it's a quick way to offend the flesh and blood players behind the other characters 99.9999% of the time (and rightly so). Courtesy, Respect, and Deference to the desires of the rest of the team go further than barked orders. Actually, this works almost exactly in the game setting as it does IRL, so I guess that's the system "working as intended". Telling someone what they've "got to do" is generally not as effective as selling them on your idea... and as people are playing Champions (at least theoretically) to have fun in an escapist super-heroic genre, they probably aren't going to appreciate you pissing all over their parade. Let them be heroes... or don't be surprised when you start getting (at best) soundly ignored by the rest of the team, or (at worst) the target of a sudden barrage of coordinated attacks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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