Leaders as the tip of a pyramid rather than actual leaders

Frederic asks what distinguishes his not anticipating from political leaders who seem to anticipate nothing, with annoying consequences.

The Wonders reply that leaders in fact anticipate a great deal, constantly worrying and constantly fed by people who worry, but that they are not really leaders - they are followers of the people around them, figureheads at the tip of a pyramid supported by many below.

The tip itself has no power; while the pyramid is strong the tip is strong, and if the pyramid collapses the tip goes with it.

Politics and leadership, they say, amount to a large number of people sustaining what they perceive as the tip; leaders do not tell others what must be done, they parrot everyone around them - socialist leaders parroting a society that says everyone must be helped, non-socialist leaders parroting the hawkish voices around them - so the real question is not which person to install as leader but what societal movement is actually being moved toward.