Maybe there are different subsets of "leader types" that step forward in different circumstances. When there is a sense that some action should be taken to correct some wrong, but there is nothing particularly productive the group can achieve at that time, a different sort becomes the most visibly confident and people follow.

Probably like a shockwave: when an actionable headline disperses faster than the speed that the whole mass of information can propagate.

If you're not in serious business, research, or operations yet, then you probably haven't experienced the most common state of things: lots of people you're trying to convince want all the information before making a decision or even pushing the headline to anyone else.