Leadership in The Walking Dead: Comparing the Governor, Negan and Rick

Rick’s inconsistent attitude towards outsiders and other groups

Just like his leadership style, Rick’s attitude to outsiders is fluctuating and inconsistent. He goes from being too trusting and idealistic, to being so wary and distrustful that it gets on the nerves of his companions. When Aaron comes to invite the group into Alexandria, Rick knocks him out, and Michonne has a hard time convincing him that Aaron seems to be an “OK guy”.

Rick seems to constantly fluctuate between two visions of the world: an idealistic one, where altruism and giving people a chance are what keeps him human, and a cynical one close to that of the Governor, in which any outsider is seen mostly as a threat. After becoming outright paranoid in his early days in Alexandria in season 5, he goes to the other extreme in season 7 by placing his trust in people that he barely knows like Jadis and her Scavengers.

From the beginning of season 5, probably due to the horrors he saw in Terminus, Rick begins to contemplate eliminating whole groups of people if he has good reasons to believe they are a threat: the Terminus cannibals, Dawn’s group, and the Saviors. He does not try to establish dominance over other groups, as Negan does, but he is tempted to take over Alexandria by force.

He eventually understands that he can create a real community with the original inhabitants of Alexandria, through leadership by example, like when he fights the walkers who invade the town. Still, Rick remains convinced that his own people are superior to the rest and is often tempted to disregard the opinion and needs of other Alexandrians.