[See, when Mulan thinks of a commanding officer, she thinks of a man like Shang: honorable, strong, devoted, and an all-around good guy. So she is thinking of what Shang would see in Lefou, not what Gaston would see.]

Maybe he sees someone with a lot of inner-strength who just needs the right situation to prove how good of a person he is. Or maybe he sees someone who has a lot of potential for greatness. Heros are rarely born that way, most are made with years of discipline and training.

[Don't worry she gets that feeling too, impressing Shang is important to her as well. Though it's slightly less gay in her situation whoops]