"I'm not saying McGee is ready now for a field team..but one day he will be and he'll have the computer skills that Gibbs hasn't. Which will be an advantage. His confidence has already grown, you can see that. His maturity level has grown..he may on occassions have a go at Tony but its mostly out of frustration with Tony's sillyness and jibbing. Its understandable that Tim gets sick of him. I love Tony, but at times he gets on my nerves and I could headslap him myself...lol..."

"I cant follow a man who keeps admiring and fretting over his looks all the time *wink*
I lost a little respect for Tony as leader when he used to take credit for other's work (McGee a no of times though of late thats reduced) and when he was needlessly rude while acting team boss (and otherwise). To be a good leader, you need to earn the respect of your team which in Tony's case still has some way to go. Ziva, McGee, Abby certainly do not respect him that much yet - JMHO.
"

"I really can't picture McGee as the leader of a team out in the field. A computer team, sure. Maybe even a leader in an administrative position. But I just think McGee lacks the authority and instinct needed to lead a team in the field. Something I've noticed lately (particularly in the episode Jurisdiction, because that's fresh in my mind) is that he doesn't always grasp the thought process and motives of the criminals, something that's needed for a good leader in the field. That's not really something you can learn.

Whereas Tony is very much like Gibbs - the parallels have often been drawn even in the show itself - and could already have his own team, if he wanted. I think Tony likes where he's at for the moment, though."

"Just putting in my two cents worth.
Tim has come a long way as a agent on the show. BUT he still has a bit of a way to go to be a leadership position the way Gibbs is. Tim is still a little on the soft side he has yet to run into the case that puts the fine edge on him. Where the rest of the team has.
Most everyone I know in law enforcement has a withdrawn or hard edge to them until you get close to them. Their way of protecting them selfs from what they face. Tim lacks that.
JMO "

"Ah Hardkore. Why on earth would McGee envy Tony's "confidence"? I see it that McGee has confidence because he DOESN'T need to fluff his feathers every time he passes a window or mirror *lol*. Real men, or should I say "secure" men, don't need to do this to bolster their self-confidence *grinning*. "

"I think that you might be right, Keli, about the plans that Gibbs and Vance might one day have for McGee. I keep thinking that if either Gibbs or Vance had to move up either Tony or McGee into the team leadership role...even temporarily...they are going to pick McGee. "

"Sorry SL that is not what I was trying to say. I just do not think he is ready to step that far ahead of where he is now. ( To be in Gibbs position of authority) He still needs to have that protective shell that a lot of law enforcement have to protect themselves from the day to day of their job.
I do not want his to be a copy of Gibbs, just a bit more like he was with the lady con in "Caged" "

"SL-I think you missed my point. I don't think McGee is being groomed for leadership role. I stand by what others have alluded to, that McGee doesn't have the 'street cred' to lead in the field. Yes, he could eventually do that. However, my point is that McGee is destined for something else. I think it was in 'Aliyah' Vance and Gibbs had a conversation that had Vance saying NCIS agents ". . .should look more like McGee than DiNozzo." And Gibbs concluded with "more like you than me." Vance is the one that wants McGee to be given the opportunity to move ahead. I think it is under Vance's direction that Gibbs is providing more mentoring to McGee but I don't think it's for a field position. McGee's educational background (Computer Forensics and the one from Johns Hopkins) make him more valuable sitting at a desk than going undercover. I agree he has come a long way and has certainly shown his chops in the field (Caged, T or C, etc) but I still think his destiny lies along another path. Vance prefers agents to be more like McGee. Gibbs certainly values McGee's abilities but (imho) prefers agent to be more like Tony. "