The July 6 issue of Sports Illustrated features an interesting article on David Beckham and his relationship with the LA Galaxy taken from the book, The Beckham Experiment. (Read the SI piece here.)
One thing that stood out in the article is how Beckham entered the Galaxy organization two years ago... Upon arrival he was immediately anointed Team Captain (perhaps forcefully by "his people"), taking the title from fellow teammate Landon Donovan.
He hadn't yet earned the title through hard work with the Galaxy. Nor had he gone into battle alongside his teammates before he started leading them. And according to the article/book, his leadership was drawn into question during '07/'08.
Is Beckham a good Team Captain? Who knows. I'm not there, you're not there. But, regardless, I think the story serves as a reminder of an important component of group leadership.
Over the years I've seen people join organizations and immediately start giving orders despite the fact that they haven't taken the time to learn the organization yet. This is direly important to do. (Not so long ago the Harvard Business Review recommended that new CEOs wait 3-6 months before making any sudden moves.) This is partly to make sure you understand things but also allows the opportunity to assimilate within the group and see all the great things they're doing without you. (And they are always doing some great things without you.)
Leaders gain trust by first conforming.
Again I go back to a great PsyBlog post on the subject of groups... Here's an excerpt on a test regarding conformity and leadership:
A study that has much to teach was carried out by Merei (1949) who observed children at a Hungarian nursery school. He noticed that successful leaders were those who initially fitted in with the group then slowly began to suggest new activities adapted from the old. Children didn't follow potential leaders who jumped straight in with new ideas. Leaders first conform, then only later, when trust has been gained, can they be confident that others will follow. This has been confirmed in later studies (with grown-ups!).
Regardless of past fame, leaders need time to conform a bit before they can successfully lead. As a society, we should allow time for this.
That is, of course, if we care about the end result.