like so many other things, our concept of leadership has been so dismantled by capitalism that we barely even understand what it means anymore.

we tend to reserve this term, Leader, for people that try to control crowds by repeating what the crowd said back to them. but, such a person is really truly a follower of the crowd, just a follower that seeks to get out in front of the crowd, and let the crowd determine it's direction.

a leader is not somebody that carefully follows public opinion in an attempt to exert influence or control (and, generally, this approach suggests a desire for control for the sake of it), but rather somebody that effectively articulates positions that are unpopular, and in the process successfully changes public opinion to better align with theirs. so, leaders are always going against the crowd, rather than with it. that's something i really look for in determining who i think is worth listening to - are they leading by advancing their own agenda, or following by letting the crowd determine one?