What does Robert Michels’s iron law of oligarchy suggest about leaders of organizations?

Robert Michels’s iron law of oligarchy posits that all organizations, regardless of their commitment to democratic ideals, inevitably succumb to rule by an elite few. Regarding leaders, this theory suggests the following:

• Inevitable Dominance: The imperatives of modern bureaucracy—such as the need for centralized authority, specialized skills, and rapid decision-making—naturally create a caste of leaders.12
• Resource Control: Leaders consolidate power by leveraging their superior knowledge, status, and hierarchical control over organizational resources, including internal communication and training.1
• Strategic Moderation: Because leaders prioritize their own survival and organizational stability, they often steer the organization toward conservative, self-serving goals rather than the preferences of the rank-and-file members.1
• Psychological Dynamics: Michels argued that elite domination is reinforced by the tendency of members to crave guidance and worship their leaders, which further widens the chasm between the elite and the membership.1

Ultimately, Michels suggested that this process transforms organizations into oligarchies, rendering internal democracy unsustainable.12