A good leadership team is critical to an efficient operation and growth, of course no leadership team can operate effectively without people to assist and that's where the whole team come into play.
I'm fortunate to have learned this a long time ago so the teams I've led have been successful, mostly, and those within the teams who are not on board have drifted away, or been speared. (Fired)
I agree with your comment about the power structure...I don't see leadership as power though, I see it as a responsibility to others, above and below, at to the mission at hand, the company, organisation, group, sporting team etc.
I'll have many more tough times, have in the past and will in the future, but that's leadership and I get paid accordingly. The thing is, in my experience, is that I'm only as good as the team around me so I work to build it, improve it, play to each person's strengths and improve their weaknesses; in this way they become more engaged, happier, more empowered and more understanding of the ultimate goal. That makes for a very efficient and profitable teams and when all the team (departments or whatever) are in this condition then the company is efficient and profitable and everyone gets paid accordingly.