To me it depends on the gig/band I'm with at the moment with regards to leadership/my role.
I'll use the bands I am currently in and my particular role in it.
THE GOOD
Wedding band 1
This band plays covers and has no real goal as to anything else and with that in mind creatively, we are all the leaders. We all have input over song choice, orchestrations and everyone feels relaxed enough to pitch in with ideas about other peoples parts.
That being said, the keyboard player and guitarist are responsible for exchanging chords and working out correct keys BEFORE practice and distributing it to everyone while my job is to do an idiot chart for each song. so I have delegated and 'lead' sort of.
Business wise, that is all me. I take care of gig bookings, rehearsals, contracts, payment etc.
Money wise we split everything equally. Travel expenses are covered either by the person booking us or by the band kitty which we take a small portion from pub gig takings.
Band 2
Singer songwriter.
The singer wrote all the songs and lyrics and in this i am effectively a session musician. Ultimately she makes the decision as to what she wants me to play. Obviously I come up with suggestions and alternatives but she chooses the one she likes best for her song and I go with that. even if it's not what I perceive to be the best or what I would naturally play. Because she is a nice musician and the music is good and again there are no egos I don't have a problem with her calling the shots.
Jazz band
Again this band is playing standards and we all have the opportunity to put in ideas and song choice. So far there have been no ego's ....
Originals band
I am currently trying to set this up. in the beginning we will be using material from an E.P i wrote (listen to it here
www.dave-major.com/media.php ....shameless plug!!!) so I guess I would be the band leader but eventually I want everyone to contribute songs, ideas, lyrics etc.
THE BAD
I recently left a band that really had everything I didn't want. Egos (or 2 in particular) and a bad band leader and not great music.
Basically i joined because they said they were doing adapted covers of songs. Great i get to use my creativity and they did a bit of latin and reggae stuff that I am not great at!. Woo hoo i thought.......however
Each song was a cover of someone else's 'interesting' cover that the keyboard player brought in to the practice and passed off as his own. The songs were also pretty shoddy arrangements and versions of obscure funk songs...
Anyway during a bit of down time me, the singer and the guitarist decided to have a meeting with everyone to see if we could begin to make our own versions. Long story short the bass player (the leader!, he organized all the rehearsals and gigs) basically said he couldn't be bothered doing that and was happy doing what we were doing.
That along with other things was my cue to leave.
Because of this band I have come to 2 conclusions.
1- Good Musicians don't necessarily make good music!
2- Music/bands is/are easy it is the people that make it hard.
For those of you that got to the end of this good on you.
Cheers
Dave