User blog comment:B214/Shin DxD 1 discussion/@comment-30230931-20180804194539/@comment-124.122.255.75-20180806172642

The leadership skill is a crucial component which affects an overall performance of the team. A stronger team with poor leadership can be defeated by a weaker team under a skilled leader and in the current state, Rias is a better leader than Issei.

P.S. Only thing that Issei has surpassed Rias is an overall fighting prowess. There are plenty stuffs that Rias is better like Demonic power, Magic, strategy etc.