He states that only true leaders respond to the higher needs of the followers. He explains that prior to 1933, he believes Hitler was a true leader because he met the genuine needs and desires of the German people, albeit to meet his own end. Rost's second essential criteria for leadership is that there must be both leaders as well as followers present in the relationship. From Rost's perspective, followers are active in the leadership process to one degree or another. Passive people are not even involved in the relationship at all.
Followers have just as much responsibility in the leadership process as the leaders do.
For, in fact, everyone participates as a leader and a follower in different relationships. Leadership is, in fact, a communal relationship. However, Burns puts the onus on the leader. He explains that truly great leaders induce more activity from their followers. He speaks of this engagement with the followers as that which ultimately transforms the leader's own motives.