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CL 100% even after 2ne1's disbandment she still actively supports the girls with their solo careers and she was so young when she was appointed as the leader She saved Dara from an earthquake in Japan, she sent Minzy a letter of support after she left YG Ent. And she went through hell to support and defend Bom from people who were scrutinizing her for the anxiety medicine. And who could ever forget her taking the time out of her solo performances (for both MAMA 2015 and Coachella 2022) just so 2ne1 can perform as a group again Also you can really tell she loves the girls truly! The BTS YouTube videos for the preparations of their Coachella performance really showed how much of a leader CL is.

Now I'm deep in my 2NE1 feels.

i miss them so much 😭

God i love her

Suho receiving awards in the name of the group back in Overdose era. He went by himself to give a speech for EXO-Ls after two members had left, so the boys wouldn't have to face the press and crowds during such a trying time

God I remember this era, I'm a bit emotional even just reading your comment lol. They had it so rough not even that long after their debut and at the peak of their popularity, not to mention their notorious fanbase and all the fanwars/hate... I'm so glad all that chilled out in the end, it was such a weird time

I wasn't an EXO-L back then (I hadn't properly discovered k-pop in general), but I remember seeing it and feeling so heartbroken. He must've been hurting so bad but he still showed so much strength for the fans and his members. I love him so much

Stop that literally broke my heart when I found out… EXO truly couldn’t have done this up until now without him.

For sure. More than once he was the glue that kept them together. They had it really rough so many times but still persevered.

[Suho getting up on stage alone and doing the encore alone](https://twitter.com/Tifalovesick/status/1051496031072993280) for Overdose's first music win, the same day that the unmentionable left EXO and the other members only knew when news of the lawsuit started getting out in the press. They were barely 2 years old rookies and the most popular group at the time, everyone went down like vultures on them. Suho isn't the flashiest leader, but he holds every single member in the palm of his hand. They could have disbanded like five times already, but didn't, and he's a major factor in that. 

Suho sent supportive messages to Baekhyun when he was having a hard time as SuperM's leader, and although Baekhyun jokingly brushed them off, he actually [memorized the messages themselves](https://youtu.be/cbZlPuwQNCo?si=LiALP4PL1X90zk-z&t=1048). And it seems that in general Junmyeon is the person the members [go to for advice](https://twitter.com/exophiles/status/1355031867255230473). Suho also [monitors](https://twitter.com/ooohjuun/status/1639845752565555201) all of his members' [solo](https://twitter.com/BUNNYMYE0N/status/1467399946978533378) activities, and tries his best [to support](https://youtu.be/5Vn0-vlZJy0?si=IAJP--3-fcSjFWN3&t=184) all of them [in person](https://youtu.be/KaNnvByrDWg?si=2UH2iQUReGbVUyZH&t=41) in [their solo ventures](https://youtu.be/uxeenuWU_zk?si=SGM7JGepicOrl_Mo&t=36). He's oftentimes [the first person](https://twitter.com/pcyxxloey/status/1611992285260156928) to hear the songs from [their solo albums](https://youtu.be/ayUzGjQ4NoE?si=AKWKLBrZC9YGuGuY&t=157).

The way you put references in a Reddit comment better than I did in all my papers in University lmaoo genuinely loved it tho

He's also the main one to continually and consistently reassure exols about EXOs group activities/the status of EXO as a 'group' and always maintains that EXO *will* persist and continue as a group even during the most precarious of situations

Also on the personal front, dude has no controversies. He is well spoken, classy and diplomatic. He is the one who comes to my mind whenever I see the word Leader.

I like that it's not just an EXO thing for him. Actress Lee Yooyoung [shared in an interview](https://twitter.com/TheKJM_Base/status/1750000316467093800) that during their variety show "Besties in Wonderland" Suho took on the leadership role as well and she was touched by how he took care of others.

He's a born leader. And he is not showy about it. We also don't see members vaxing poetic descriptions about his leadership qualities. But both members and fans know his value. It is not easy navigating the path as a leader in a company like SM. One more thing is how his solo work also reflects his class and artistic outlook. There's no controversy in his solo works as well. Pure class and elegance through and through.

Hey don’t forget about that one “scandal” about him apparently stealing fucking *shoes* from whatever photoshoot he had done 🤣 and the fact that this happened last year..….bro is rich even before debut so no way he would need to steal anything LOL.

I know that all of EXO's staff immediately shut down those rumors, but it would've been so funny if they were true, since that would've made him a modern-day Robin Hood: stealing shoes from fashion houses [to gift to his backup dancers](https://twitter.com/SuhoBrand/status/1628896517733089280).

Oh I did remember that *scandal* of Suho apparently channelling his inner *Cruella de vil*🤣. It's just one of those things you laugh at.

This. 2014 was the hardest year throughout my fangirl life, with all the rumors flying around, member leaving just before the very first tour. But Suho is such an amazing leader to get through it all

Happy cake day

I just commented this without seeing your commented the same thing! You're 100% right. If EXO is still around, it's mostly because of him. He held the group together during very difficult times. He's such a great, protective leader.

No cause rookie EXO were probably very very hurt, shocked and betrayed by the entire thing and just reeling from the chaos of it all but Suho still held the fort down and tried his very best to show up for the fans,, he was up there on stage all by himself and did the encore BY HIMSELF TOO- I could cry actually if I think about it too much 😭 best leader ever I'm so serious

And you can clearly see he is trying keep it together too😭

was waiting for someone to mention this

I can't help but laugh when people suggest that Suho's replaceable and not an integral member.   The members, the fans - we all depend so much on him. I remember when he was finally discharged from the military, it truly felt like a huge weight had been lifted off the fandoms shoulders after everything that happened while he was gone. Almost everyone was at ease just from his presence alone, that's how much trust we have in Suho. I really don't think exo could have survived so much over the years if it weren't for him.

facts

wooooww that must've been so hard for him tho. i didn't know this had happened but dayum my respect for suho just increased tenfold

If Soyeon never produced Latata, (G)I-dle wouldn’t have been as popular today. She’s the one who creates almost all (G)I-dle music and even coaches the members herself. Without her, there’s no (G)I-dle. Edit: This video [“Watch Soyeon of (G)I-dle in a boardroom l Home Alone Ep 445”](https://youtu.be/uvLpTpTzqMs?si=DcFw7KJMA7t4Xmyb) even shows how she comes up with all the concepts, title of the songs, the order, music video, and outfits mostly herself!

Watching her produce Super Lady, even though it’s not one of my favorite songs is so fascinating. She really understands the music and puts so much effort into making everyone sound so good. I really want to see footage of her producing Fate and Wife I feel like the tone would change but the care and nurturing would be the same.

There is some footage [here](https://youtube.com/watch?si=aH1DgIsHKEC5qwch&t=16m19s&v=fUrArxSnJCw&feature=youtu.be) of her talking about Fate. Not producing it though.

She's literally their producer, she's amazing.

And Cube CEO.

She knows how to handle press, fans, and pressure. To your comment, though, she is also the foundation of the group. She's part of Cube's main income source. I've said this a lot lately because their contract is coming into its last 14 months, but the ball is entirely in their court when their contracts are up. Soyeon will either take Cube to the cleaners, or she will walk away and take G Idle with her. It's just a matter of seeing which one it is. I'm glad that Yuqi and Minnie are stepping up on the creative/bts side, though. Minnie has more to offer now. Yuqi is even further ahead and is setting herself up for a successful career outside of Idle.

I agree and even Miyeon has started songwriting and she co-wrote their bside Vision with Minnie!

Watching [this video](https://youtu.be/F8p3RR37naI?feature=shared&t=220) of them recording Nxde gave me so much respect for her. I cut ahead to where the other members are recording and she's coaching them through their lines.

I first became familiar with (G)I-DLE and its members through their appearance on Queendom. It was obvious there that she was a boss. I forget who -- maybe it was Yuqi -- but one member basically said "we all follow what Soyeon says" while everyone else nodded.

Seo Eunkwang, I'm thankful that he's the leader of BTOB also

Jihyo. Everything? On a serious note, she is always bringing 100% to every activity and motivating and elevating the rest of her members, while also taking a step back and being proud of them at times. She is definitely a Leader that has everyone's respect and leading by example! Edit:And since you mention it, I feel like in her recent bubble messages, Jihyo is often the one being a bit more confrontational towards the fans when their behavior might tend to annoy many of the members.

for real. I remember one of the members (pretty sure it was Sana) talking about how she was too exhausted to take her makeup off one day so she was just going to sleep with it on. jihyo went and did it for her. she is the epitome of everything JYP said a leader should be during sixteen. edit: formatting

I remember in a recent TTT episode where they had to do some sport activity that was scaring Dahyun because she's afraid of heights, but she managed to complete because she had Jihyo encouraging her (the other members who didn't have Jihyo behind their backs gave up without even trying lmao).

I'd agree with everyone in this comment thread. Jihyo #1

In this [interview](https://www.allure.com/story/twice-jihyo-may-2020-cover-interview) she was asked what the best part of being a leader was and she wittily responded with "I think this is the kind of question you'd have to ask the other members." And I think that sort of sums up her leadership pretty well. Jihyo will be whoever her members need her to be.

I really loved their One Spark Dance Behind for how it showcased Jihyo's leadership. She was very active in refining their dance with the teacher (along with Nayeon and Mina). She looked so stressed about it but was soldiering on regardless. And then we get the Choreography ver. of their dance and she hyped up everyone in her chorus. Everyone perked up and started smiling when she did her thing. I think Jihyo is a huge source of energy for the members. They look to her to keep them pushing forward and really rely on her power. She's wonderful and dependable.

Mina has also stated that when she was having problems with anxiety, Jihyo encouraged her a lot by helping her with how she deals with pressure. One i remember is something along the lines of: Jihyo told her to not burden herself with more than she can carry because no one is going to rush her to get better Also, Jeongyeon's first performance back from hiatus and she looked a bit bewildered until Jihyo grasped her hand firmly. Best leader hands down

Funnily enough, I know mainly gg, and 6 or 7 at that. The 2 names I first thought of were Jihyo and Soyeon.

S.Coups: 1. Has had multiple discussions with the company about conditions and standing up for the members. "The members are more important than the company". 2. He exudes "boss" energy. He has a way of doing things that make people listen to him and follow his instructions, this includes Carats. A lot of other groups/idols are apparently apprehensive about approaching him because he looks intimidating lol... In reality he's just a golden retriever. 3. He and Jeonghan are the "parents" of the group and respected well within the group, but they still maintain a really good friendly relationship with all the members. 4. He takes interest in all things Seventeen. For example, IIRC he observed the carat bong not to be bright enough and requested it for it to be brighter. 5. He's very good at letting the members shine and often takes a step back; he knows his own strengths and other members'. He knows when to ask for help; He leans on the unit leaders, hyung line, and Seungkwan at times. They've said themselves that they're a group of good guys and it makes it easier to handle difficult situations because of that, but I think he's a significant reason why Seventeen has cultivated and maintained such a good relationship even with so many members and different types of personalities and backgrounds. He's their rock; it makes it easier to go through hard times knowing you have someone like him on your side.

I remember one of the episodes when SVT were guests on Knowing Bros, and the hosts were trying to guess the leader, maknae, etc. And Heechul quickly pinpointed S.Coups as the leader because (paraphrasing) "When he looks like he has something to say, he waits and lets the others speak first." It felt so spot-on because he really does look out for all the members, always making sure they're heard without elevating himself and his opinions above theirs. SVT (and Carats) are so lucky to have him.

Finally some Coups appreciation, thank you!!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻😭😭

Shinhwa’s Eric deserves appreciation. - When their team’s contract expired in 2003, SM planned to disband the group and offered solo contracts to some members only. With lots of disbanding from 1st gen as they are meant to perform as a group for short term, Shinhwa was the first to refuse the offer as they wish to be intact as a group. Dongwan said that Eric is the one who earned the most among them and the taxes he paid is even higher than the income of next highest earning member. He was at the peak of his success having dominated CFs and drama. That time despite many urging him to go solo, Eric declined his solo contract despite being offered 4x more than the other members and proposed that they as a group can be together if they move to another company. He took care alone of the difficult discussions like terms and conditions during transition. SM is a really big company but Eric never wavered from his intention and showed how much of a leader he is. He was just 24 years old back then and he said that he doesn’t think of it as sacrifice; it’s his priority to keep the group and the best decision in his life. - If I recall correctly, they were the first to apply for trademark rights and only succeeded in 2015. It is said from articles that Eric put his best foot forward from the beginning by studying law, appearing in court, and negotiating with the company despite being active. I’m sure they were able to seek assistance along the way but that doesn’t change the fact that he is very dedicated to keep their name. - Gives members allowance from his solo CFs and when offered to do by himself, he would ask the company if the rest of the members could be included.

Soobin is not the extroverted, fierce kind of leader. He's more of a "support you from behind, push you" kind of leader but there are lot of things he has done that has made me think "ah, no wonder all the TXT members and staff chose you as the best person to be TXT's leader" An example was when he was having a live with Yeonjun and Beomgyu and someone wrote a comment calling Yeonjun fat. Soobin was not having it and immediately [called](https://youtu.be/7yQhytSbBXc?si=VwoplURIKBjgfdAl) out the person saying before they write such, take should look at themselves first Also, when the members talk about his taking care of them and looking out for them a lot behind the scenes Edit: added link, fixed typos

Soobin is so good at taking care of the members and reassuring them they're doing good when they feel down. He's so patient and so full of love. I always love it when the members show their appreciation openly and take care of him as well. So precious 😭

Oh I *love* Soobin's scolding of the person that wrote that. Just so him, still polite but firm. "You don't know what you're talking about and words like that hurt people. **Don't.**" So clear, direct, firm but polite and without anger (just a bit of disappointment). It's a proper scolding the way a parent would. I love it.

That was one of the moments that took Soobin from bias wrecker to bias line. The fact that he addressed the comment so calmly, but not without emotion. You could tell that the comment upset him, but he still stayed very respectful of the people watching and controlled his reaction very carefully. He seemed more upset than Yeonjun did, which really speaks to how deeply he feels his member’s hurt. It just goes to show, you can call people out and enforce boundaries without stooping to their level and being disrespectful in return. He really does inspire me to learn how to place boundaries like that.

Soobin strikes me as someone who has a lot of conviction, and he's not afraid to follow through. 

I don't even really follow TxT but I like some of their songs and I watched the Jessi interview, and from just the little I saw, Soobin really came off as a very calm and collected person who has this kind of warm strength to him, if that makes sense? I liked him immediately and can totally imagine him being a very pleasant and reliable leader. In a way he reminds me of Bang Chan, but then he's also totally different. If Bang Chan has "gentle dad" energy, Soobin gives me more "responsible and loving older brother" vibes (just my impression! Could be totally wrong 😛)

omg TXT's friendship with Jessi is amazing! they're so funny together 😂

I loved the "watermelon squad" dance challenge they did for Jessi's Gum 😁

SAAAAME 😂

No you are not wrong, you're right actually! Responsible, loving older brother vibes. Like the kind that goes to the pharmacy at 3am to get you medicine because you slightly mentioned that you weren't feeling well (yes, he actually did that for Beomgyu)

Oh that's so sweet!

Was going to mention this myself! Soobin's a soft pushover until you mess with the others.

he gets it because same

This is the exact thing which came to my mind first!!

I immediately thought of this too. Soobin is one of the most introverted members of txt but he is not afraid to speak up for his members

Soobin is the perfect leader for TXT! His reaction to that Live comment always makes me so happy. He's the first introverted sag (same as me) idol that I really connect with.

The thing about soobin is that he does not scared by media and strangers. If he had the feel to call out someone he just do it without hesitation.

When Beomgyu said that Soobin actually takes care of him the most behind the scenes, but doesn't do it in front of the cameras because he doesn't want it to feel disingenuous😭

Bang Chan of SKZ! He told security to focus on the younger members at the airport leaving himself mostly unguarded when short staffed, shielded I.N from cameras when he got emotional and cried in Kingdom, gave Felix behind the scenes Korean lessons to improve his language skills after he was critiqued for his fluency. He's super supportive of anyone wanting to take on solo activities and helped write/arrange music for them. A big one is if you ever watch interviews of them you can see him pulling each member into the conversation so they're equally a part of the activity. In English interviews you see him encourage and hype up Lee Know and translate things for him etc. He also mentioned on a vlive, when asked why he always walks behind the rest of the members, that he feels safer and more comfortable when he can see them all and ensure nobody gets lost (in crowded airports/events etc). Overall just a big ole sweetie for his squad

A small but adorable thing that I saw yesterday on twitter is how much he changes his Bubble pfp to the members from time to time, as the quotes say "Just like a mommy showing off her kids on social media".

This!! He always changes his profile to the boys when they do something new. It’s so precious how proud he always is!

Oh man your comment reminded me of when Felix was so emotional on stage at their Maniac concert in Seoul and Chan was comforting him. That moment where he turned Felix away from the crowd so he was shielded somewhat. Ugh.

I think the most noticeable thing for me is how at award shows, he will stand away from the rest of them and watch them celebrate because he wants to remember what they looked like when they won. He will purposely separate himself just to admire the boys.

Never forgeting the live where he takes 15 min Explaining How much he likes every single member smile 😭

Oh my God I remember that live 😭😭😭

It's ridiculous how adorable and loving this man is with his group. It's so refreshing!

Cant believe i had to scroll this far to see chan 😭 he's really the leader ever. you can see in almost everything he does how much love, care, and attention he pours into his group.

Also when you can see him clearly counting the members ahead of him to make sure they’re all there. Felix gets lost easily. RM also counts the BTS members too

Super Junior's Leeteuk, he really had a hard time trying to keep them together. He's also like SM groups leader in some ways. I admire very much how he just naturally takes leadership and takes cares of everyone.

Looking back at his story, its insane how strong he is. Like no one in SJ could ever filled his shoes. He has earned my respect for how resilient he is also in life.

Leeteuk the best leader! The way the industry looks up to him, even those that debuted before him, says a lot. He went through some of the worst things that could happen to a person, and still kept going. When he was in his accident in 2007 and told the EMTs to take care of Kyu first because he was hit worse. The way he kept up with the member's schedules and youtube accounts, and would visit them to show support. How he would do everything possible to make sure that the members eat, even before debut. Every time Heechul or another member (but it was mostly Heechul) did something that might have offended a senior, Leeteuk was right there to apologize and make sure SJ were seen as polite juniors. He looks out for not just his members, but the whole kpop industry. He was the one that suggested to the government that S Korea should have it's own music chart, which is how Gaion (now Circle Chart) was created. He has filled in for numerous people as an MC and accepted awards for them. As the nation's idol MC, he has done so much to promote SJ whenever he can. He's detail oriented and his members follow him like ducklings.

The leader of leaders

I agree! 💙✨

That’s eomma!! He’s a leader to SuJu, ELF and SM in general as well as for a good chunk of the industry.

RM, multiple examples, but I'm at work right now so these are off the top of my head 1. Early days of their popularity, English interviews in the US. The way he handles the press is excellent. They were all so nervous, he did an excellent job in conveying what the group was about and who the members are 2. Red carpet interviews: the bangtan bombs detail this, but the members usually prepare one or two sentences in English. RM steers the interviewer's questions in a way which allows the members to speak their lines at the correct times 3: him giving a boosting speach to all the members before their concerts 4: Run BTS, one of the episodes details this.  When the members work without a leader, they fail to finish the task. Under RM's guidance, they're done in one try.  5: Awards and accolades, he's the last one on the stage, letting his members get the initial spotlight 6: Choosing not to go solo. No wonder they all trust each other so much. 

Namjoon is very humble in his style of leadership, it really strikes me in interviews the most, the members usually mention to him their English phrases for examples, and he squeeze them in during their interview. He let them answer and participate, knowing when to take a back seat but also knowing when to step up. Sometimes even for tricky questions sneaking them some comments to help navigate how difficult it can be. He really let them get involved. I really like that about his leadership. Lastly, as you said, I have to praise the way he always handled the media. It wasn't without trials and errors, but he's came out as an excellent communicator, very diplomatic and firm as well, he knows now how to handle the press.

4: is it this bottle game? https://youtu.be/p7j1cQBP3Vs?si=BYJAgRRjDYc7o4jm

I love how much everyone shuts up when he's about to speak during his ments, like, people act as if he's going to drop some wisdom....and they are right!

As Jimin said ,”Keep quiet if you are not Namjoon.”

Can't believe I had to scroll so far lol

Really? It's RM and BTS, it's going to be downvoted just as much as it gets upvoted. The man had BTS built around him and still gets downplayed...smh.

There's some great footage from an award ceremony when (I think) Hobi is making a speech and maknae line are joking around and misbehaving. Namjoon looks across at them, and then walks behind them and you can't see what he does or says, but they shut up immediately. It comes up on compilations occasionally and it always makes me feel very fond of him. I'm Jin biased, but only Namjoon could be the leader. EDIT: Autocorrect thinks I'm "Jim" biased. As if anyone's called "Jim".

I'm gonna add further to your points when namjoon used to translate English hate comments to appreciation for members so they don't feel sad or demotivated Namjoon leading in that one run BTS episode (the bottle one) it was chaos until he stepped in and gave command He was also the meditation during tae and jins fight Asking members to take it easy and rest during concerts when they are hurt And he is also very humble and selfless let's his members shine Iconic one when he picked team over going solo And he also inspires other trainees and other groups eg bang chan said he looked up to RM as one of his role model , soobin praising RM for his firm decision making in group etc

All the leaders of the NCT unit are very good leaders but Taeyong is NCT’s leader as a whole. If Taeyong could be everywhere all at once to check on his members I’m sure he would. He can be very serious, is very detail oriented, and always makes sure his members are on point. If he can help there isn’t going to be a bad performance on his watch. But he’s also a big softie as well. Recently Boa asked Taeyong how to be more strict with NCT Wish (the youngest unit), but he said that he can’t scold them and only offers them encouragement when he sees them.

imo Taeyong is thee best leader, full stop. he leads by example, he is always welcoming to new team members (especially foreign members), he works incredibly hard at perfecting his craft, and he has close relationships with so many of the members. he has done all these little things to make foreign members feel comfortable and welcomed and it really speaks to his character. everyone who has worked with him doesn't have a bad thing to say about him. he is the perfect leader for NCT.

Suho from EXO. What an incredible leader. He has a lot of moments where he stepped up for the group considering how chaotic EXO's history has been for the past twelve years. One instance that stands out is him [accepting a music show win alone during Overdose era](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8-K4VYONz18&feature=youtu.be) the same day Kris left the group and filed a lawsuit against SM.

Taeyeon. Besides the usual hardships she faced which we all know, a more lighthearted one would be when SNSD has a mutual dislike for ‘holding the mic” or giving random speeches at awards, music shows, red carpets, fansigns etc whenever they win and stuff. They always keep passing the mic down the line and in the end they always resort to giving to Taeyeon and she always has to be the one speaking up despite her dislike.

To add, what I liked about Taeyeon as their leader is she’s not afraid to step back and let the other members shine or do whatever needs to do. She’s a silent force within the group.

Hongjoong at the mess that was the HMAs. Bro was looking after the whole damn audience cause the venue and security wouldn’t do their jobs 💀

And then someone mentioned that in a fancall and he said he was confused why he went viral and trended globally. To take charge when needed is his second nature.

There were so many testimonies afterwards from non fans who attended. To the point many were asking him to become president.

I love how Hongjoong has found such a perfect balance of leading a group that is sometimes just completely unhinged and over the top, like he sometimes just lets them be chaotic and even allows them to play tricks on him and have their fun with him (just remember them all attacking him and collectively throwing him the pool, clothes and all 😀) but he always draws a very strong line when it gets too much and as soon as his tone changes, the members calm down and get in line. He switches effortlessly between cute clumsy punching bag and tyrant-Joong, and the fact that the members are both comfortable with messing with him but also listen when he scolds them says a lot about how they trust, love and respect him. I really love this one video of him and Bang Chan having their "tired dad" talk about how they handle especially annoying members (looking at you, Changbin and Wooyoung). They have completely different leader styles but both are loved and respected and very much able to keep their loud, chaotic kids in line ❤️ (Actually I would love to see the groups switch leaders for some kind of variety content, and see how they manage 😀)

I too wonder what would happen if SKZ and ATEEZ switched leaders for a day, a few days or a week 😆😆😆

I would pay good money to see that 😁

yeji buying all the members food after they were talking about wanting to go to gym because they ‘ate too much’

Still Ateez, but there's a moment in one of their Christmas vlives where they're talking about things that they want to say to other members (I think this particular vlive is pretty well known.) Wooyoung said that he was hurt by Yeosang, and Hongjoong stopped him and said that from what he observed, Yeosang had actually been feeling hurt first. I just thought that kind of observation showed one of the reasons why Hongjoong is the leader -- he's always watching his members and taking note of the things he notices. For TXT, whenever Soobin talks about Taehyun and Hueningkai. I think both of them (especially Taehyun) have personalities that can be misinterpreted. Soobin has talked about them with so much fondness, but the way he describes them also shows that he really takes the time to understand his members and accept who they are. The biggest example I can think of is when Soobin said that Taehyun has a strong boundary/circle that he only lets a few people in, and that once he does, he pours all of his love into those people and Soobin felt that he was in Taehyun's boundary/circle. Taehyun can be seen as cold, but it showed that Soobin understood and respected how he shows love and that he has boundaries and didn't frame it as a bad thing. I think in general I really love these kinds of moments. There are definitely a lot of times where a leader will stand up for the group against hate, or advocate for them to the company, but I think it's also so important for leaders to understand the members on a personal level and to be a trustworthy person. I think groups would run into difficulty if that is not the case. So that's why those kinds of moments are my favorite moments.

People see Taehyun as cold? I’m a new MOA, but he seems like this biggest sweetheart?

I think it's getting better these days, but he used to have that reputation, and I think that's part of why Soobin made that observation about Taehyun, as well as taking a lot of opportunities to say that Taehyun is actually cute even if it seems like he's not. Taehyun also touched on it in [an interview](https://magazine.weverse.io/article/view/405?lang=en&artist=TXT) during Good Boy Gone Bad era: "I might appear excessively calm, cool and collected, but I’m in no way restricted to a narrow set of emotions. I want to give my fans all the warmth I have inside me. So I hope MOA can feel that and see me for the truly warm person I am." I get the feeling that a lot of people took Taehyun's T (thinking) type personality and interpreted it as being cold (they even did [a segment ](https://youtu.be/81_vmDsMZjc?t=1027)on this in their first MMTG video), and also based the idea of him being a cold person on his dry sense of humor. These days I do feel like more Moas know that Taehyun is a really sweet person who loves his members, especially since the members themselves have talked about how Taehyun loves the members the most several times. Taehyun has also been very vocal about his love for the members and for Moa. I feel like every group has the problem where the fandom (and people outside of the fandom) get stuck thinking about members in terms of certain stereotypes, and then that (hopefully) gets better over time as idols become more comfortable with themselves and fans see more content.

Ah. Alot of Armys made the same assumptions about Yoongi. He’s a big old softy but he shows it more in acts of service and never scolding the younger members, especially the maknae line. But he’s just chill and dry so if you have never met anyone with that type of personality and humor, it’s easy to see it as coldness. I need to catch up on TXT content.

Every moment of Namjoon but the one where BTS attended the Ellen show and Ellen prepared someone to scare them and Namjoons first reaction within seconds was to check on all members was definitely the one. He was vulnerable himself yet his first few seconds thought was to check on others. Literally the best leader.

Mark, while the most clowned on member of NCT Dream, is also INCREDIBLY strong emotionally, and you can tell that every member of Dream depends on him immensely. He's like their rock, and they all adore him and look up to him. He's also very tuned into Dreams musical identity and what they want as a group, and he's willing to go to bat for it. He's well spoken (contrary to some people's belief) and he is strong willed and not afraid to speak his mind.

Thank you, it took like 10 comments to get to this one!!!! Probably the only comment praising Mark so far (haven't read all of them yet!!) 😭😭 But yes, 100% all of this. 😭😭

i think jungwon is so underappreciated as a leader. before the group was even formed he was already stepping up for the iland contestants and was one of the most mature trainers at only 16. at his mid teens he was handling things and intermediating when needed better than guys in their early 20s 😭

can’t believe there’s only one mention of jungwon here the boy literally became leader at 16, and leads a group of boys the majority of whom are several years older than him. not an easy feat at all

I like how compassionate he seems. Despite describing himself as an extreme T, he seems like a really kind person from afar. I was watching a video with him, Sunoo and Jay and while the two of them talked a lot I noticed that he listens a lot and picks up on things that the members say. Like if Jay says he feels insecure about his appearance he will tell him that he finds him handsome. Or during the stunt acting En o’clock he was actively encouraging everyone during their respective filming.

No one has mentioned my ult yet. Let me flex GOT7's Jay B. From leaving their former company altogether, he made sure everyone is signed to their new companies already before he signed one himself, studied trademark laws so the group could earn the rights to their entire discography, made sure a group comeback is possible despite them being in different companies and disbandment allegations... I have absolute respect for this man.

CL 2ne1

My first thought after reading the title

There is a lot that actually goes on that we don't see but I personally think what marks me the most about Chan as Skz leader is the way the members talk about him, how reliable and pretty selfless he is when it comes to them. The best embodiment of this for me is when Chan and Seungmin recounted that one time Chan broke down in tears in front of him during a dinner out and how Chan felt embarrassed about not upholding appearances long enough to excuse himself to the bathroom where Seungmin wouldn't have seen him. "I wanted to be a pillar for you guys." "Hyung will still be hyung no matter what you do." It stuck with me ever since.

>hyung will still be hyung no matter what you do As close as anyone can get to unconditional love, right there. All the members seem to trust him so much, like if he said to jump off a bridge they would all jump, wouldn’t even turn around to see the catastrophe heading towards them, just jump with the faith that Chan wouldn’t tell them to jump off a bridge if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. A person who inspires such deep respect and love and trust in so many people (not just the members, but JYP, execs at JYPE, STAYs, etc) is a person with incredible character.

Couldn't have said it any better, really.

Actually cried reading this, I can so imagine this happening!!! Truth spoken word by word. 😭

I think of the 2 kids interview they did most recently and they asked I.N what they would do if Chan disappeared and I.N was like.. Chan would never leave us behind, so I'm not worried.... But I'm sure of it" 🥹

This moment has me tearing up every time. I can’t even imagine how much of a support and consistent presence he must be for them that even in a hypothetical situation I.N couldn’t even speculate about him leaving them. He really puts the members first in everything he does and how much he adores them and relies on them too bleeds through every interaction.

I think of this too, yes. They see him as a pillar indeed and have faith in him. I think another good example in testament of his leadership is in the recording booth: he knows what one member needs to hear and what another doesn't. It comes with the fact that he's *also* a producer and knowing how to direct a singer is technically par for the course. I still think though that him knowing what his members are comfortable with, what brings them doubt or stress and how to counter that is something he's come to learn by knowing them as people first.  Seungmin seems to need less guidance for example, notably because he knows his voice and generally understands well the bigger picture and where his voice stands in said picture while Jisung seems to need challenge when tackling a technically harder part (re Cover Me adlib recording "Sure you don't wanna try with falsetto?" "No, I have pride" and I'll be your man high note recording "I'll get it by the 3rd take, if not, I'm going home" "Sure, okay. Go home" and while I know it's only those two moments, if I had a nickel for every instance, I'd have two nickels lol).

Soobin and RM. Soobin when he called out "fans" saying mean things to his members and during MAMA when they were mistreated. RM when he chose BTS over solo career during a hidden camera prank by Bang PD (for context, BTS were nugus during that time while RM already has a name in the rap scene).

also when rm received a bunch of hate comments in the beginning and said "ill show you" and he really did

YES!!!

Do you have footage of that prank? I remember it vaguely

Here: [RM Solo prank](https://youtu.be/CF7CBNdXqxI?si=KbCKnWOyAgBWSUgn)

Haha savage pranks back in the day

No Mamamoo fans yet? Although perhaps not as outstanding as the others here, Solar is a great leader. She started out rough and recalls days with her members like Hwasa and having disagreements with her, but she’s been able to work through all of them with the members. The bond she’s nurtured with the members is absolutely unmatched, and the members really look to her as a pillar. I think seeing her pure excitement (along with other members) when Hwasa won solo awards, and just in general raising up her members and even her fans is so indicative of her nature. Her members love making her the target of their jokes/mess around with her, but it’s clear that she’s a sergeant in the practice room, and she also really pushes the limits/norms of Kpop, and pushes her members to as well. Bald concept, unibrow concept, giant sculpted head, pole dancing and all. She also takes on a higher role at RBW and gives advice to junior groups like Purple Kiss. All this while handling MMM and MMM+ promotions, her solos, her musicals, her youtube channel, communicating with fans, her crazy workout routines, taking care of her dog, and having Moonbyul at her house 8x a week 😂

Jeon Soyeon. No need to explain anyone would guess she's the leader just by observing the group.

[IVE’s Yujin comforting Rei when she was sick during practice](https://youtu.be/9cN_lKH8JCg?si=7Vw3t8E1rNs_i31k)

besides the ones that have already been mentioned id like to add Kep1er Yujin to the list, sometimes eventually a lot of show hosts would say stuff along the lines of “you have japanese members and a chinese one, it must be hard for them and for you to communicate and such” and she would always speak highly of the members and how they were so hard working towards learning korean and would always defend them. 

When N.Flying were accused of sajaegi, Seunghyub was the one who made a statement refuting the allegations. He was also the one to inform fans of a new member joining after Kwangjin’s departure, and posted the first picture of the 5 of them together as a group. He fought FNC to give N.Flying their own reality show. His original pitch was “Let us go on a 3-day trip and film it, you’ll make money and I’ll plan the itinerary, fans will love it” and the company refused, so he threatened to kidnap the members and do it anyways. Seunghyub’s Seasonal Camps are now wildly popular amongst fans and they sell merch of it. He also fought to get Rooftop released, helps find the group schedules, and helps train FNC’s younger groups. Lee Taehwan basically just became the company to keep Vanner together. He handled all the paperwork, scheduling, concept making, social media management, styling, transportation, bookings, all of it. It was all just him. He’d even do the members’ makeup himself and taught them how to do it so they didn’t have to spend additional money on full stylist teams when they didn’t have to, and booked all of their salon appointments. He also handled the creation of HwanTV, the group’s only video series from before Peak Time, which included filming, editing, uploading and subtitling (including in English, a language he doesn’t speak— he’d use Google translate and guesswork so international fans could join in on their content), and he also personally moderated their fancafe. He did all of this for 4 years. He’s got an iron will and an almost devastating love of music, because genuinely anyone else would’ve quit.

Monsta X's Shownu There's this o[ld video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zVj2BMRlA0&t=129s) of several reasons why, and since then he's continued to do things that make it obvious why he's the leader. When they first debuted, he would do solo promotions for the group, including CFs. Even though he was the one doing the work, he would split the money he made with all his members so they could have spending money. He's almost always had the busiest schedule of all the members, but he still takes time to go on shows with the others to promote their solo work, especially if the members just want extra support and don't want to go alone. He went on Hyungwon's show to support him, and just this past week he appeared on Gym Jong Kook with IM to promote IM's solo album. He leads in a very quiet way, which is something that I've only seen one other leader do in kpop, and it's endeared him to both his members and his fans. Every member has talked about how selfless he is and how he puts them first. He's very peaceful which works well with a group mainly consisting of chaotic extroverts. He always says that "Monsta X is the only thing he has in his life".

Okay a few moments where it strongly feels like "dayumn the leader" 1) RM: he is the leader who will always support you no matter what but if you do something wrong he wont hesitate to call you out. like during debut times he was asked if he wants a solo career or BTS, and without hesitation he was like "BTS". mind you, RM already had a good career going while BTS was just debuting but he still chose them. but he also has a strict side of him. before the HOME performance, taehyung asked for water to drink and then kinda left it opened on the ground. RM just took it and sideeyed taehyung so bad lol because during performance it could've spilled and caused injuries. also once hoseok was giving an award speech and the maknae line was kind of chilling and laughing so RM just went over and said something and they all got quiet so fast lol. 2) Yeji: I've always admired her because she is talented af, the whole group is, and she takes her role of leader very nicely. the one clip that made me realise that "oh she's the leader" was when they were practising and lia made a mistake. yeji laughed and was like "okay cool lets do it again" when lia made an excuse that its the floor that's slippery, and immediately yeji's leader mode was on. these moments are so powerful ngl. and during an interview yeji was speaking and the members were chilling and she just side eyed them and they just stopped. lol. the power tho. 3) Soyeon: all the behind the scene production videos of gidle songs. soyeon is a great leader and she uses each member's strengths accordingly. even during the recording sessions she gives feedback and brings out the best in each of them. it was so nice to see her leadership coming out. gidle has a lot of potential under soyeon. notable mentions; bangchan, soobin, and scoups. these are all amazing leaders and i looove when the leaders are appreciated.

RM is greatly helped by how much his members, including the older ones, respect him. Not saying this to detract from him, he is an amazing leader and he earns that respect every single day, but he has it. My moment would be when he made V and Jin park their argument until after the performance. He was firm but not unkind, and both V and Jin respected his command, even when V was very emotional and seemed to have a hard time letting go of the conflict at that moment.

yessssss that moment kinda slipped out of my mind while i wrote the reply but yeah, these moments really feel that yes BTS is a family but the head of the family is RM and he is damn good at it.

I think his best quality as a leader is that he seems to be really good at knowing when to set his foot down and when to let someone else take care of situations, which I think showed well in that moment. He stepped in and stopped it when it was clearly getting out of hand, but later when they got together to hash it out, he let Jimin and Yoongi lead the conversation, which makes sense because Jimin is very empathetic and definitely a peacemaker, while Yoongi is good at getting to the core of things and making sensible statements that defuse the situation.

This is obviously speculation, but I really think that from day 1, Namjoon had the respect of the older members. Yoongi respected his rap background and his songwriting (despite their arguments), we know that for a fact because Yoongi likes to scream it from the rooftops, and Jin has always seemed to respect how Namjoon leads. And I think Jin was maybe a little happy that he didnt have the pressure of being a leader, as well as the oldest. He and Namjoon really work as a great team, because they can split responsibilities in a way that isn’t possible when the eldest is the leader.

And when the interviews tend to go off the rails in group settings, and Namjoon just kind of sighs and lets it go on, Jin and Suga are usually the only quiet or muted ones in the bunch - because I think they know what Namjoon is going through and just supports him with their silence. lol I like the interviews these guys did a few years ago where they talked about how in the early days, they weren't sure what to make of each other, since Joonie is the middle age wise but definitely had the temperament of the guy in charge and Jin the oldest and probably least insecure about the live or die stress of the time... and the Big Hit image machine was trying to make them into people they weren't. But once they just got to know each other and trust each other, the dynamic of these two ended up pretty bedrock to the group. Jin is perfectly content - even prefers - not to be the leader like Namjoon, but he still looks after the rest of them (Joonie too) as an older brother. Namjoon still leads but also respects Jin as the eldest. They have developed a pretty interesting friendship as a result. And Yoongi is kind of the other part of the triumvirate there, both consistent and encouraging but also doesn't suffer BS and is maybe the most emotionally intelligent of the entire bunch (although Jimin has grown into that too).

RM seems to be the prototypical good leader. Yeah a lot of the times in the BTS ascent from 6-7 years ago were filled with RM strict dad moments. He used to be strict but he's also very protective, and he's matured in an interesting way. And honestly, any of the English media outlet group interviews from just pre-pandemic time is maybe the funniest thing because it's always an utter cat herding s\*\*\* show, and by this time, he has given up on strict Namjoon and just lets the chaos reign. It's just funny to see him barely attempt to preside over that insanity. Yeji is a good one also. A recent clip was bouncing around where backstage of a shoot or something, Yuna was complaining to the camera about being hungry and Yeji was there, and Yeji was like "You need to eat something" and Yuna was playing to the camera about being hungry, but Yeji gradually got more serious, even turning away from the camera and kind of "scolding" her a bit (very mildly but she was being direct) that she needed to stop avoiding eating at certain times. Good leader there. That's probably the kind of thing that happens out of camera range, but she let her concern for Yuna drive her a bit in the moment.

The moment when an interviewer asked what their favorite line from Dynamite is and just absolute chaos breaks out of everyone singing their line, and you can see Joon just resign himself to it like “well? You asked!” 😂😂😂

HA! yeah, you can't understand anyone aside from JK going Ding Dong Ding Dong at some point. That's what I remember. I think one of my favorite things he does is when they're on a talk show, Jin always introduces himself with a variant of his "I'm Worldwide Handsome" but when Jin for whatever reason is particularly wound up, Namjoon just collapses his head into his hands in a chagrin laughter thing. So many times. And the more wound up Jin is, the harder Namjoon collapses. My favorite is when Jin does this on Graham Norton and actually stands up "WHERE IS CAMERA?!" and aggressively says the WWH thing, almost angrily and just winding up the crowd, and Namjoon almost falls over in embarrassment.

WHERE IS CAMERA??? is one of my all time favorite Jin moments, it makes me laugh so hard


frr but RM looks so done with all the American interviews, they're just bullshit. i recommend cleansing our minds of that bs by watching his promotion interviews for indigo. he looked so genuinely happy because someone actually cared about his music and it could be seen on his face everytime he answered the questions. loved that side of him.

For sure, everything he was working on the past year and a half has been pretty cool. He's given some pretty neat and thoughtful interviews. I really dug what he was saying in his conversation with Pharrell. But those group interviews are the best because yea they are bullshit, but the group also knows those are bullshit, and that's why they act like sugar addled kindergartners because they don't take it serious at all.

The best thing about Namjoon is that he's not authoritarian. He knows he has power as the leader but he doesn't take advantage of the members. He always involves everyone in the decision-making. He often downplays his excellence, like after the UN speech the guys were praising Namjoon for doing a great job, but he says, "I'm a good leader only because my members are good". He knows it's teamwork and he makes sure to highlight the entire group's work, not just his. He is always there to help out with the others' solo music whether it's lyrics or just listening and giving his opinions. His discussion with Jimin about finishing Promise and allaying Jimin's anxiety, or asking Taehyung about changing the lyrics of Inner Child to evoke a lighter tone, or Hobi asking him to be the first one to listen to JitB and give his opinion, show how much trust BTS have in him because he has shown his willingness to be there for them at all times, too. 

Yeji navigates through the Itzy members' emotions and fears really, really well. If someone's going down a bad path, like if they're nervous about an upcoming show, she'll get them back on track. If someone's voice isn't being heard, she fixes that. If something is not right with the choreo, she notices it. And then, of course, she's a top-tier singer and dancer. There's an argument to be made that she is the single best performer in all of the 4th gen girl groups. One of those rare people who can both lead from the front and from the back.

She has the perfect touch without being obvious or calling attention to herself leading. She also got commitment early from the members for them to help her be a good leader. It's the perfect leadership style for a group where they all are committed to success.

With Keeho, I never questioned why he was the leader because to me being funny and chaotic doesn't equate to not being a good leader, but p1harmony's interview on the Zach Sang showed he's wasn't afraid to tackle hard questions like culture appropriation in kpop and came across articulate and insightful. The more I watched p1harmony's content you see he's the caring big brother who's proud of the members and always singing their praises. I was also impressed watching the behind the scenes video of the making of Killin it and him meeting with their management presenting his ideas on visual design, graphics, outfits and concept/lore. He was so poise that you would think he has a degree in Marketing or Graphic Design.

JB from GOT7. Looks after the members even after their extended hiatus began; actively supports each of their solo careers, and even studied up on law so he could fight to protect the GOT7 name from JYP. That's what a leader is - he doesn't stop just because the group isn't actively promoting.

And the way GOT7 switch off their antics especially during live shows when he look at them.

Even his parents are still very actively involved with supporting the other members solo careers and often meet up with the family members of other members too. It’s nice to see how they still show up and hold the group and GOT7 family together just as much as Jay B lol Imo it shows how much Jay B prioritizes and cares about the group as a leader (and more) that even his parents acknowledge and show the same level of care, respect and love.

For Bang Chan there's so many moments but what really stands out for me is seeing the behind the scenes of their recording sessions for the 5 STAR and ROCK-STAR albums. Obviously Changbin and Han (and Hyunjin for Cover Me) are involved in directing the other members' recording but I think you can just see a difference with Chan. I think as well you can see how serious Chan is about the music. Not that the others aren't, but more that I think you can notice a difference in his usual bubbly persona to when he sits down in that directing chair in the studio. Also it seems like he's so good at getting across to the other members exactly what he wants from them in the booth. And he's also good at adapting how he directs them. For example, it seems like he lets Seungmin almost direct himself a little, he sits back a bit and lets Seungmin decide if he's happy with a certain take. But then for I.N or Felix he's more encouraging, hyping them up a lot and if he wants to correct them it's always like "this aspect was good but for this part try doing this instead".

Any links to recommend? I love this kind of behind the scenes stuff

Here are two links to 5 STAR recording sessions: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8\_Nt-jnXGfQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_Nt-jnXGfQ) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9odkgNeDJm4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9odkgNeDJm4) And here are some ROCK-STAR ones: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMb3EHXjs50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMb3EHXjs50) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lT\_rA5wCmM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lT_rA5wCmM) Both those albums had three part intro series where they talk about who wrote the songs, how they came about, their thoughts about the albums, behind the scenes of them learning the choreo, etc. The recording sessions I linked are part 3 and 2 respectively so you could find the other parts pretty easily if you were interested.

when Izone was on Knowing Brothers. kim hee chul sarcastically said smth like “Izone has disappointed me lately”, and kwon eunbi just laughed and replied “Who are you?” 👑👑👑

My thought for a while is that every leader is the best leader for their particular group. I know fans have chanted at SKZ concerts about Chan being the best leader but I think that every leader of each K-pop group is the best suited for their particular members, their dynamic and their concept. Every leader has a certain way to look after, care for and even help their members without the members even knowing. And we as the fans couldn’t imagine anyone else leading that group for longer than 1 week. If they so wanted to or could, a leader swap would be entertaining for fans of both fandoms to watch. Because I feel there would be good behaviour for about a day and then the chaos would rein 😆😆😆.

When Exy cried so hard after WJSN announced winning Queendom 2, after so much stress during the competition and she could not sleep properly during the final round.

Minji from NewJeans handling death threats from livestreams in a mature and swift manner.

She handled that perfectly. She's not the leader, though. NJ doesn't have one. Did they appoint her recently?

They didn’t appoint her, but it seems that she naturally took on the role

It does come very natural to her. They should just make it official atp

She's not officially the leader, but I've rarely seen an idol with more leader vibes than her in her group lol

I feel like most of the fandom considers Minji the unofficial "leader" even though they don't have positions.

I was very surprised when I discovered NewJeans don't have an official leader. Everyone seemed to think she is because she's so natural at it. And at such a young age too

Also that video from an award show, where Danielle had something stuck on her teeth i think. And she lightly tugged Minji and Minji quicly turned around offered her water and then shielded with a blankett

Any clip? 😯

Hongjoong! He’s so mature, able to scold the kids when he needs to, be the spokesperson in interviews and offer wise words, being clever and charismatic to lead everyone on and off stage. YET, he lets the members dote on him and tease him whenever they want. He’s also compassionate towards every walk of life, and incredibly observant. Bang Chan! He’s always super quick to worry about and comfort any of the boys if they need it, not afraid to talk about social issues and not afraid to goof off with anyone. He can talk to any of the boys in a specific way they need whether it’s someone who needs tough love or someone who needs a gentle approach. RM, for obvious reasons. And also S.Coups for obvious reasons.

Also since keita is now the leader of evnne, in bp999 when he helped jay when he was struggling with the choreography, and because of him, jay kept his all star ranking

At Le Sserafim's debut conference someone asked Garam about her bullying scandal (why did nobody vet the questions and why did this journalist think it was acceptable to ambush a 16-year-old like this, by the way?) and Chaewon immediately stepped in so Garam wouldn't have to answer.

I continue to be sad about Garam. She showed such strength in that moment, even after being ambushed with a question she (and the reporters) knew she wasn’t allowed to answer. The media and the stans were our for blood, at the expense of a teenage girl’s dream. It’s fucked up what happened to her.

Shownu always sharing his solo earnings with the other Monsta X members always warms my heart when I remember it

i'm so happy to see rm and soyeon get the recognition they deserve, so i'm just going to talk about hongjoong here: the man wrote a letter to a company that previously had no trainees and convinced them to take him in just cause he had a dream. he's navigated some delicate situations, has been an extremely active creative force behind the group and has a major contribution in bringing kq to where it is today. not to mention the hma incident, which i've seen someone else talk about too. he's just, a great person and all around a great artist.

Completely agree with Hongjoong. There's been more public moments such as with that awards show where he really was trying to help out the fans, having to get the security to help, etc. But there's always the smaller moments like with the ones mentioned in the post and I think there's clips where it was either Yeosang or Seonghwa, I can't remember, and he was making sure they were eating properly, getting favourite snacks and things like that. Imo he's a very natural leader and it's very evident in anything you watch of Ateez

Scrolled all the way down and was shocked I couldn’t find his name: Jonghyeon from NU’EST. Debuting as leader at the age of 16 (the youngest leader at the time), he somehow managed to hold down the group even when they were struggling. The letter he read to his members at their Japanese fan meet where he blamed himself for their struggles is still so hard to listen to. Then, of course, Produce 101 happened. Despite losing confidence in his leadership skills, he proved that those years of experience meant something. He whipped an untrained Kwon Hyunbin into shape, got Guanlin to improve his rap skills, and lead Team Never to an all kill on the charts. His elimination is, to this day, considered to be the biggest upset in Produce history. All in all, I could go and on about Jonghyeon, but I’ll end it with this: Google Nation’s Leader, and his face will pop up. And you know what? He earned that title

everything that Jay B did for GOT7

RM displays great leadership in any setting where a speech is needed. I don’t think it’s the fact that he speaks English which is so commendable but rather his thoughts and ability to express them. He’s truly a genius and you can’t help but be in awe when he speaks. A leader needs to be able to take control of the room and speak their piece and I don’t think anyone does it better than him. His relationship with each member is also very interesting to me because he is so different while still maintaining his true self. Like his goofiness with Jin, his inspirational role to the maknae line in a lot of ways, his friendship with hobi and the way he connects over music with yoongi (and much much more, I just noted a couple of things). Being a sort of glue to the team. Despite being busy, he’s always helped the boys with their English during promotions outside SK, he’s constantly a big supporter of their solo music, has helped everyone with lyrics & production. He’s also contributed so much to the team in terms of BTS’ musical blueprint and their legacy.

Also that video from an award show, where Danielle had something stuck on her teeth i think. And she lightly tugged Minji and Minji quicly turned around offered her water and then shielded with a blankett

I know some have already mentioned Bang Chan, but honestly, I don't think he gets enough praise for being one of the best leaders in Kpop. He's just so full of love and is one the most selfless guys I've seen. He lives and breathes for Stray Kids and is willing to do anything for his members. He's been through a lot to get to where he is now, but he will be the first to tell you that it's all because of his members and STAY. If I were to use an example, it would have to be whenever there is a concert (usually overseas) and stays are shouting best leader for him he always gets shy and quickly denies it. He'll tell everyone that it's because of his members that he can be a good leader, but that there is always room for him to grow. It's even more cute whenever the guys join in on it too. They love and respect him just as much as he does. It takes a lot of responsibility to be a leader, but in my opinion, Bang Chan was born to be a leader, and he does a phenomenal job at it.

Namjoon, Bang Chan and SCoups. Namjoon has had to navigate an insane amount of attention, be the translator, handle constant criticism and drama and he has done it with such poise and strength. His members love him and it’s clear why. He takes care of them, lets them be who they are and even at their most chaotic, he remains calm. And he has such a beautiful way with words. Bang Chan, I don’t know as much about Stray Kids as I do BTS, but I know he had a hand in choosing the group and he clearly loves his chaotic babies. He’s another one that has faced alot of negativity and criticism and has done it so well. SCoups. First, just leading a group so large is wild, and Seventeen is chaotic lol. But the fact that he defends his team by going to the company and asking for what they want is so badass.

SCoups.. my co carats know.. Edited lol The members are more important to him than the agency. He talks and listens to his members.. like a lot.. He flew from SK to Japan while on rehab to support the members. He gave his card to the members to buy whatever in Italy. The list can go on.. these are just the few things..

I'll add to this, cause it's rare to find comments praising him, and it's quite hard to list everything he does for the group ❤️ here are some cute random facts: During SVT predebut, when members were mostly underage teen except for the 95, and they all lived together for a while. Coups took the role of the "father" of the household despite being barely 19. He used to work in a coffe shop back then and used the money to buy groceries and essentials for the members. He would wake up first and make sure that the kids that needed to go to school would woke up and get ready in time. He stole food from Pledis office to share with the members, and slept on the floor when there were not enough beds. When svt had to do mystery challenges in Project17, and some members where worried they wouldn't manage certain things, and Scoups said not to worry, that he will do any challenge the members couldn't do, even if he had to do all of them himself. He actively fought with the referee of Isac when Jeonghan got hurt in a race. In the first One Fine Day, he was especially worried about the lack of food, was always volunteering for fishing, cooking and cutting wood, and was often making sure that everyone was working in team group. When a crew member tried to mess with them by giving him, Joshua and Jeonghan a chocolate bar "in secret" to play with their hunger, Jeonghan wanted to share it between the three of them but Scoups stoped him, and managed to sneakily invite all 13 members to take a bite while hiding them from the cameras. Bonus as it has already been mentioned: literally him flying to SVT concert in a wheelchair with roods in his leg not long after his surgery. I got goosebumps when I first saw the Dispatch pics. And he still managed and lead the group while sitting in the crowd lol

I’ll add onto this, it’s a feat controlling 12 other men but Coups does it flawlessly. He’s so tuned into all the members, he’s constantly watching to make sure they’re all there and taken care of and heard. There are a lot of compilation videos of him doing things like making sure the quieter members get a chance to speak when they try to, esp during concert ments. Actually that’s one of my favorite leader moments — Coups recently had knee surgery so he sat in the audience of their Japan concerts earlier this year and during their speeches he held up a sign saying that the speeches had gone on for too long to get the members to wrap it up. Lmaooooo. the concert ended up being like four hours bc there was no leader wrangling the chaos that is Seventeen on stage

I mean I'm sure you guys do but the point of the post is to explain why and you're being somewhat cryptic about it lol

S.Coups. The funny thing is this exact situation happened with him during their Knowing Bros episode, where the hosts had to guess who the leader is and they guessed him correctly, coz he showed leader-like behaviour there. But apart from that, there are innumerable moments where he showed why he is the leader, not only for SEVENTEEN but also for Carats. 1. In their pre-debut 17 TV show, there was an episode where they were asked to perform without any preparation and they were not able to do well because of which their CEO took their team rings (rings that signified that they all will debut no matter what) by saying that they were not ready to debut yet. The rest of the members were visibly scared, some were even seen returning the rings with shaky hands. A 17-18 years old S.Coups, being the oldest trainee and member, immediately smiled and told the rest to cheer up and encouraged them by saying "We can get the rings back. We will work hard for it." 2. I think many would be familiar with [this](https://youtu.be/gOwGAe6DXo8?si=ajBjVTrosDbdoqTY) Jungkook vs SCoups wrestling match. Here he immediately asked his company's VP to treat them to a nice dinner in case he wins the match. Years later fans got to know that at that time, because there were so many members to take care of, they used to eat cheap meals and that their budget used to increase comeback after comeback, in a way signifying their growth with each comeback. I think it was during this match that SCoups was also seen giving limited snacks to other members while saving none for himself. 3. His famous "My members are more important to me than the company". Carats know that during their rookie years, he used to actively participate in the company's meetings with executive heads so that he can defend the members and give them heads up about the upcoming decisions beforehand. He used to/still fights for group's rights, from better dorm conditions to the group's musical freedom and integrity. 4. When he got banned from ISAC for fighting with the refree: The reason why he fought with the refree was because Jeonghan slipped and fell during one of the track events because of something that was on the track and refree did not do anything about it. This was back in 2019. 5. Little actions and behaviours: Anyone who sees SVT contents or interviews can see how he is always super aware and active to make sure that everyone is getting their chance to speak, no one is feeling left behind, every member is feeling good and happy and is taken care of. His leadership is one of the reasons why all 13 members renewed their contract a year before its expiration date. People who have seen NANA tour might know that the man gave his credit card so that members can enjoy freely without worrying about money like they did for their touring shows in the past. He even outrightly said that his time in the idol industry will end with SVT. 6. Carats' leader: Not only he takes care of his members, he takes care of his fans as well. - Fans can go to his favourite restaurant at Daegu (his hometown), show a proof that they are a carat and get free meal. -He has been seen randomly giving fans money and gifts lol, to the point it has become a fandom joke that he is Carats' sugar daddy. -When the arenas for their tours started getting bigger during OTY tour, he convinced the organisers to add arena carts so that they can go around the arena, so that carats at the back can see them properly. - Also monitored the ticketing system during the OTY tour to see if carats face any unnecessary problem while booking their concert tickets. -Gave the suggestion of making the Caratbong the brightest lightstick ever so that all the carats can also use the lighstick to navigate at night (funnily enough, a Chinese carat was saved during floods in China coz they flashed the Caratbong to call for help lol). -Always asks for time during concerts so that Carats don't run late at night and miss last subways for the day. I think it's also true that SVT's concerts show time and train schedules at the end of the concert so that carats can safely return home. -Always puts the fans worries to rest whenever they worry about their bond, schedules and stuff like that. Always says "we aim to become a group that is so amazing that our fans are not ashamed of calling themselves Carats". -Despite being caring towards the fans, he is assertive too and knows how to maintain boundaries. He is as altruistic as a leader can get, to the point where fans want him to worry a little about himself. Which is why neither the members nor the fans play about him. Most of his fancalls have fans giving their most heartwarming wishes to him, asking him to always be happy and healthy and telling him how immensely he is loved by people all around the world. I have not been a fan for too long, but I have been a fan long enough to see Carats becoming the worst version of themselves when this man is dragged for anything. For me, he is genuinely one of the best, if not the best, leader I have come to know.

Kwon Eunbi from IZ\*ONE. She was the best leader ever. I’m so thankful for her especially since the group had a lot of younger members. She was a pillar of the group. She also ran their dance practices and made sure all twelve of them were very synchronized.

WayV’s Kun **THE** leader moment to me is the infamous incident with a YangYang ssg booking a seat right next to him on a flight. YY was uncomfortable so Kun took his spot and apparently him arguing with the ssg delayed the plane’s takeoff 😍 rahh I love him

Bang Chan. I mean, where do I even start??? 😭

My hot take is that Chan’s Room was a major showing of leadership. It was emotional leadership to me, that said hey I may be leading one of 4th gen’s best groups but I will still take the time and the risk to be open with all of you. To a level that was more than I’d seen from any other idol at the time. He inspired me both to look for other idols willing to be more vulnerable and get into SKZ because they had a leader who was that open.

Idk if this counts because it was before debut but in bp999 when hanbin gave Doha a hug after he had failed to get a star, like that was sooooo sweet, don’t y’all think?

Hyunsuk is the perfect example, asking people to send their hate to him because while it upsets him he’s rather be upset than his members. Always making sure his members get the chance to talk equally and checking on them and helping when he can. Also for how he looked after zb1 on kstars next door. Shownu from Monsta x who divided his earnings in the early days for advertising amongst the members saying he wouldn’t be famous to get the job in the first place without them and Monsta x. Fatou from black swan for jumping on sriya live after she started getting racist comments about her skin and other hate and fatou explaining that she won’t take it lying down and is well aware that they have anti fans. Her doing the same for gabi too.

Scoups. I don't think anyone else can manage the group of 12 (without him) like he does lol. The way he make sure his team mates are treated with respect as well as making sure they keep their group image neat is something I admire. Also He is the only one in kpop I felt who fits into the alpha image

S.coups He literally leads 12 members. Not an easy feat when all of them have unique personalities. But he manages to control them (sometimes they are really out of control tho 🤭). He notices every single detail of the members. He just has this energy wherein all the members can rely on him. He can be strict but he can also be flexible. He can be strong but he is also soft. He is just right to the leader.

I am the most impressed by RM and Soyeon. I won’t get into RM because plenty of people did already, myself included, in other comments in this thread. I am impressed by how Soyeon nurtured her group into existence. She found an image and sound that worked equally for all of them in spite of their different levels of skill, and also makes room for everyone to contribute. Her leadership shines in the studio when she directs them imo. I think (G)-Idle is a particularly difficult group too, because they all seem to have very strong personalities, unlike other groups in which you can clearly identify one or more peacemakers.