What is it that leaders do? I'm not being sarcastic, I really want to know what your opinion is. The problem as I see it, is how will he be portrayed when he tries to lead. Like it or not, he still has his reputation hanging over him, and while someone might perceive him as a leader when he gets on a teammate during a game for missing a rotation, or not running the play that was called, another might call him a trouble maker that can't get along with his teammates. Something they would never say about Duncan, or Michael Jordan. Anyone can step up and call themselves a leader, but if no one follows, you end up going into battle alone.
He's going to need the full support of the organization to become the leader, and any player that doesn't buy in, needs to be gone. They don't have to like him, nor he them, but they need to know who the leader is, or else. As for his play being disappointing, I guess I had a different expectation. Cousins said several times in interviews that he couldn't play his normal game. That he had to sacrifice his normal game and play the role they wanted him to play. An entirely different situation than he's used to. By all accounts, most of the coaches there had nothing but good things to say about him, especially his work ethic.