The Courage of No, or Mass Effect’s Commander Shepard As A Leadership Role Model

Who is Commander Shepard? Well if you’re looking for a first name, you’re sorely out of luck. For those of you unfortunate enough to have never experienced the glory of the Mass Effect video game series, Commander Shepard is the player character, customizable to an incredible degree. Gender, first name, skill set, progression, even how the player reacts to significant in-game plot points are entirely within the player’s control. In short, Shepard IS the player. And that Shepard is a person that can not be shaped by the player, but shape the player in return. (Note to readers, I assume Paragon (one of the two moral alignments) play for plot hereon out, not Renegade (the other). That makes a pretty big difference. Also, SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT I REPEAT LOTS OF SPOILERS.)