Perhaps very few authors have touched this topic. When the idea of writing on this topic struck my mind and I did research, it was as shocking for me as it will be for my readers.
Interestingly, every so called successful leader whenever comes up with an idea, there a couple of things are common and understandably so. Like he will present the old wine in a new bottle and most of the time he himself doesn't know that what he is selling is actually not a new thing, but the way of selling is new. So, most of the time, do it honestly.
World famous, especially revolutionary, leaders have been the victims of this because of their lack of ability to understand basic human nature. Leaders like Abraham Lincolin, a Nobel prize winner for peace and personally passed through a couple of divorced and nervous breakdown. Regardless of the religion, whatever Hitler had believed in and whatever he did is an open secret. Khamnai from Iran had a huge following from the Muslim world and recently the world's renowned Pakistani Ex cricketer and former Prime minister, Imran Khan who is well known and respected worldwide for his honesty and extraordinary social works.
These are some of the relatively World's recent players of the big games. Its fortunate or unfortunate, I am not sure, but it's sure that in my humble opinion, as a student of history they deeply lack the basic instinct , the basic human nature which these respected and honest leaders tried to teach to their people according to their faiths in their regions, may be honestly and without the greed for their personal gains Now, let's unfold the suspense of which I am talking about these big people with so much confidence.
Basically every human likes new things. Every human likes free things and perhaps most importantly, the built in laziness of the humans. Everyone, one gets some money, the first thing he will buy will be luxury. It can be a small car or a big plane. If people would have been given free money, even the most hardworking and passionate people would quit their jobs and would just try to make their world a heaven on earth.
The above mentioned instinct is one of the basics. After that , other basic needs start, most of which are animistic in nature. But a handful of money forgets ethics and God, most of the time.
So, why do people support some leaders? They support any person in a movement, in a wave of heat where they forget their basic instincts and cling to revolutionary ideas. After the movement is over, the people's basic instincts start arousing again. Interestingly, those who have got something which can make them comfortable will go with the leader. Those who couldn't get anything, sit on opposition benches claiming their previous leader or their precision slogan for that matter.
So in my very humble opinion, I feel many leaders who may be knowing this nature of humans, use it anyhow. And even if a leader doesn't know or forgets it in the heat of the movement and moment, he pays the price on personal and higher levels.
Lastly, a few leaders don't realize it and die with their vision and slowly their followers fade away. A few who realize it by the time, it's too late. They are usually assassinated. And the last ones who realize it fully may be called a little fortunate who, at the end of the day, decide to get out of the business and back to their personal lives.
The last type of people are those, who spent so many years in wars and peace, in revolutionary ideas and soft moments, eventually manage to learn how to lead the people according to their basic needs of comfort and getting more by doing nothing or very little. So keeping their finger on this pulse, they usually lead a long successful political life.