Leading by Control or Example

The people who control society lead the masses through restriction and enforcement.  This causes a backlash towards authority through crime and deviance.  If the decision makers among us led by example rather than control people wouldn't have anything to rebel against, only existing methods to innovate from.  The leaders could function as the artistic and individualistic exemplars that seek to impart individuality throughout the masses.  People would choose a leader to follow until they were confident enough in themselves to lead others according to their own views.  In this way the best among us would slowly influence the masses towards their peaks of consciousness through example and encouragement.  A united society of individual enlightened persons would function much better than the presently imposed hierarchy