Guild Wars 2

SCHOFIELD’S DEFINITION OF DISCIPLINE

The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instructions and to give commands in such a manner and in such a tone of voice as to inspire in the soldier no feeling but and intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or other of dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due others cannot fail to inspire in them regard for himself; while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward other, especially his inferiors, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.

They make everyone at West Point memorize this.

Hey, fellow T8 player from SF here. What I’ve found to work with regard to leading without the Cool Ranch Dorito above your head is to take a couple weeks of being vocal (but not disruptive or indignant) in team or map chat. On top of that, taking your time to periodically update commanders who are online with enemy movements, vulnerable defenses, potential hotspots, and other important scouting info will help you develop a better working relationship with your community. With time, the WvW regulars will come to value your name and leadership. With that sort of valued role comes their trust, and it only takes a group of 8-10 core regulars going about for others who don’t play WvW often to tag along.

Once you’ve built that reputation to a certain point, you’ll have no trouble asking for volunteers to get a small to medium-sized group for larger objectives. Past small to medium sized groups, especially in this tier, cohesion is kind of a wash. Sure, you might have 20-30 people following you, but they’ll seldom actually listen to important instructions like ’don’t autoattack the door’ or ‘food buff on me.’

TL;DR: start being a vocal participant in map/team chat and provide useful information. Build a reputation and people will follow.