'Community leaders'. How do you become one?

[gremlin]

I frequently read that term in the news, for example, 'Community leaders and others...' from the BBC news website this morning.

Who are these leaders and how did they become leaders? Did the community have a vote are did they just declare themselves leaders?

How do I become one and do I get to wear a badge?

[Count Steer]

I was on a local Resident's Association committee and attended the area one so if someone stuck a microphone in front of me I suppose I could have claimed to represent them ('lead' would be a complete overstatement - tried to stop them all arguing with each other would be nearer the truth).

Didn't even get a badge.

PS Anyway Gremmers, I thought you were leader of the RTTL Financial Community. Didn't you get the badge and hat?

[MrLongbeard]

How do I become one and do I get to wear a badge?

Big fight, knock out style on the village green every 2nd blood moon, bring your own bats.

[gremlin]

Didn't you get the badge and hat?

I may have donned the hat once or twice, but we don't talk about it.

[Taipan]

I used to work with a Muslim lady who was a regular attendant at the mosque where the then (2006) home secretary John Reid got heckled. The BBC later interviewed a "community leader" who represented the mosque, but she'd never seen him represent the mosque before, nor had anyone else. But he was a known radical and his views were at odds with the mosques ethos, so the mosque tried to appeal to the BBC for a second interview but they weren't interested. So if you want to be a community leader just tell the BBC you are and if what you say fits their narrative, you're in!

[Mr Moofo]

I frequently read that term in the news, for example, 'Community leaders and others...' from the BBC news website this morning.

Who are these leaders and how did they become leaders? Did the community have a vote are did they just declare themselves leaders?

How do I become one and do I get to wear a badge?

Isn't it like being in the Hells Angels?
If you have to ask ...

[Slenver]

Community leaders are nothing. When any famous person dies and all the slebs gush on Twitter about how great they were, the news always reports that 'Tributes were led by [insert celebrity leader here] who said blah blah blah.'

I always like to imagine the disparate actors, musicians and politicians getting together on a Zoom call to decide who gets to lead the tributes.

[Count Steer]

It's all old hat now anyway. If you want to be up there, you've got to be an 'influencer', 'cos that comes with $$.
'Community leaders' are unpaid. Losers.