Leadership, Fetishism, Aggression

The proper object of Following is an example set by a Leader, not the Leader themselves.  The latter typically involves fetishizing someone's reputation or authority, no matter how noble their specific actions might be.  Also not to be confused with Leadership is aggression qua initiating a course of events.  So, a compound confusion is involved in the case of compliance with the authority of a belligerent ruler.  Conversely, the charge of 'failure of leadership' is not necessarily applicable in the case of an avoidance of proactive military action, especially when it is intended to set an example of temperate conduct.