If a follower misses a lead or falls behind, you can just keep the beat for an extra few beats until the follower gets her balance back and is grounded again. Followers should come out on time and be ready to accept my Lead, but the considerate leader will notice if his follower gets off time and will wait for her to catch up, skipping a beat or two if necessary. If the follower is not responsive to a lead for a particular figure, do a different one and show the person that figure after the dance. A poor leader will force the follower through the figure. A good leader will compensate.
Leaders are in sort of a schizophrenic position.
Do What We Lead. On the other hand, they want to please, not only to make you happy but to make you want to dance with them again. A good Leader follows almost as much as he leads. A good leader also doesn't lead moves that are unreasonable for his current follower. Dance within your partner's limitations if she's not as skilled as you.