ZD, that is slander. There is one Rav who is famous for having said that. Others incouraged escape long before anyone believed them. Others taught people how to jump from trains before people knew what they were. It was Rabbonim who were at the forefront of seeing ahead and understanding very well the personalities involved. It was others who stood in their way. Then they tried turning the tables.
Brining exactly one incident to draw from is not quite an honest way to make a conclusion, especially if that incident didn’t have much to do with insight. This is besides the fact that it is a big misrepresentation of the facts to state what you are stating, unless you are talking about before anything started, in which case it is a silly argument.
Those at the forefront are the Einei Ha’eida, and they have a perspective of a big picture. They lead Klal Yisroel, inasmuch as they are listened to, to what is best for Klal Yisroel.
The idea of looking to non-Torah leaders to lead is in fact an old one, as it says, Nitna Rosh Vinashuva Mitzrayma. But we know the Torah’s perspective on that and how it turned out.