I named him the favorite elder son of the island where Jack is the Papa-Bear!
I think Boone DOES have leadership qualities but is too young. He can take initiative on his own and even though he respects Jack and seems to see him as their leader, is not afraid to go up against him. And really, in many ways, it is Boone who decided Jack should be the leader, by taking every issue to him and forcing him to take action -like with that Rose woman. Boone could himself go talk to her after all, but seemed to think Jack may know what to say better -maybe because he is a doctor?- and wanted him to go deal with it. Jack DOES do his best to keep people alive to get them back to health but I think it is Boone who was more "aware" of what their little society needs as well as the "emotional" needs and he pushed Jack to take care of those too.
So, yes, I love Boone. He is adorable. He seems to be lacking in the lifeguard qualities and probably would be better if he realized he does but he IS keeping guard over all (not just Shannon) and trying to help them all, if not by doing something himself, by getting someone who can to help them. And I do like that he is one of the few take-charge/responsibility people in the island and also one of the -fewer- "think for the greater good of all" ones.