That sounds weird. It's like suddenly random soldiers gain above average intelligence. I feel the point of being a leader is that you are special and having many others be just as special as you sort of dilutes this.
I like it personally. So many games make you a hero. Almost none, if any, RPG let's you be an ordinary person or not a special snowflake. Closest is probably modded skyrim.
A hero isn't quite the right word to describe the character you play in M&B.
Can be, depending on how you play it. Killing off bandits, protecting the villagers, providing for them when their corrupt ass lords won't. Freeing prisoners for their captors. Not selling people into slavery. Not raiding villages. Not hunting down every fleeing opponent in a battle. Making peace between the realms for its own sake rather than personal gain. Being generous with your time and effort. Becoming an upstanding member of the business and trading community, uplifting your town and surrounding villages in prosperity while making some profit yourself.
There's lots of ways to be a real hero in M&B instead of another blood-soaked mercenary. The game just doesn't reward it very well.
Another one of my primary gripes about the sandbox that they say they're trying to correct in Bannerlord: factions are very samey. Your default assumption is all nations pillage and plunder, whereas I think in a more realistic setting, there'd be noticeable differences between them. Some conquerors might put a lot of people to the sword just on principal, where another might to integrate the conquered into their society. Some cultures might pillage villages simply to hurt the other nation than for any strategic need, where other nations have a code they abide by and refuse to do that, focusing instead on chasing down armies. It's the big problem I always have around this time in M&B: whom to fight for? They're all technically the same, and I need a better motivation to commit than "well these guys are winning/losing" or "vikings!" "arabs!" "french!" "mongols!" I really have to commit to a kingdom before I even bother reading who is who, whose important, etc... there's just too much information to take in, to really care about. It's kind of like DF where, up to a certain point, you're not super concerned with lore, genealogies, etc...until you get invested into the world in some way and a reason to hook into it.
I usually end up starting with Swadia, because Knights. But I'm tempted to help the Vaegir out against the almost insurmountable odds the Nords have built up against them. They're down to one city which means they're not producing crap anymore. Single-handedly saving an entire kingdom should be pretty rewarding. Which probably won't happen as I drown in a sea of beards and axes.