[eesmith]

Why limit it to "(some) elected politicians"? Isn't pretty much the entire population at various times unable to grasp reality?

I certainly am, and I'm no politician. So why pick on elected politicians?

When you write "who is liked by most people", what does that mean?

Like for their leadership skills? Liked for their ability to help people one-on-one? Liked for the homemade cookies they often bring to work?

Because "liked for their leadership skills" seems like a good reason to select someone who will steer the workplace, at least for a while.

That's how, for example, some worker co-ops handle it - workers vote to select the managers.