They guide the camel with voice commands and a stick. The lead rope seems to be used mostly for getting the camel to kneel. I did the walk and pace, which feels like a rough trot on a horse. It does not have the sideways motion that the horse's pace does. The camel's walk has a lot more action than the horse's.
Camels are very patient.
They do not seem to ever shy of become frightened. In disposition they are a bit standoffish, but if treated kindly are very affectionate. Here is Souso, the camel I rode in Jordan, giving his boy a kiss. If you piss off a camel, it will spit at you.