If you are a leader and no one is following, isn't that considered a lonely walk?

An excellent statement. I think it is far more relevant now than it was in the past. In the past the Army made people leaders because they could lead. In the past few decades the Army has taken on the task of "developing" leaders from everybody. While it's a noble gesture, it is not truly possible. Leadership CAN be learned, but it cannot be truly taught, at least not the way the army does it. I may be taking an unpopular position here, but I feel the Army does not develop leaders, but poor managers, and this is creating a spiraling catalyst of numerous other issues we now face. The solution for this is not a popular one either: to bring back the old SPC E-5 - E-9 rank structure. This would allow for people with leadership skills to move up the NCO ladder and be leaders, and the people who hold worthy skills with their MOS, but not leadership based skills, can assume the specific MOS related tasks to the 20, 30, and possibly even 40 level skills of their job. I doubt anyone will ever see this again, there is a lot of valid resistance to it as well as support.

I agree that it is applicable to the military also! (I have to use this one).

A leader is a mentor to his subordinates and will have followers or he/she is not a leader. A good leader is sometimes a follower by delegating a leadership role to his subordinates.