I think an awesome leader would naturally create some kind of cult following, while the opposite isn't true.

Just like former President Trump?

There are two possible ways to read "the opposite" from the GP.

"A cult follower does not make an exceptional leader" is the one you are looking for.

While cult followers do not make exceptional leaders, cult leaders are almost by definition exceptional leaders, given they're able to lead the un-indoctrinated into believing an ideology that may not be upheld against critical scrutiny.

There is no guarantee or natural law that an exceptional leader's ideology will be exceptional. Exceptionality is not transitive.

Have you ever seen a useful product produced by a cult?

Leadership Gets Shit Done. A cult following wastes everyone's time on ineffectual grandstanding and ego fluffing while everything around them dissolves into incompetence and hostility.

They're very orthogonal things.

I also imagine the morale of the people who are currently implementing things, and getting tired of all these politics about who is going to claim success for their work.

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