Some days it's easier to be a leader than others, and sometimes being a leader is a tough job. People look to you for answers, and they want to know that you can provide direction, even if you are clueless on what choice to make. Leadership is earned, not demanded. Of course, there are sycophantic types that would follow anyone off the nearest cliff to their demise no matter what.

Those individuals are sheep — occasionally not too smart, and not interested in standing alone. And, likely those folks enjoy being part of the crowd right or wrong. They love being around power. It intoxicates them. Instead of standing apart, they choose to follow the herd. Political parties are a lot like that. Ideologues invoke a blind allegiance; and then their minions fall in behind their fearless leader and tow the party line, usually not because they believe the new mantra all that much, but because their leader says so.

Some leaders enforce their dogma through threats and intimidation, and others are more subtle in their style of leadership. Learning to lead others can be taught by experience, and often by way of a mentor who molds the new grasshopper into his image. Or, there are new twists on old ways that copy what may have been done in the past with a certain modicum of success. After all, "there is nothing new under the sun" to quote an Old Testament leader, just different ways to "skin the cat."