As usual, competing psychological forces result in overbalances in either direction.

Over-admiration resulting in a "personality cult" are the result of wanting to be led rather than having to think through difficult problems. It's about wanting to be able to latch on to success so that you can follow the leader's direction and share in their success -- even if it's only loosely by perception of association like when wearing a winning team's jersey.

The other side of the coin where visionaries like Musk and Jobs are harshly criticized as being "cults of personality" seems to stem mostly from insecurity. Personal insecurity seeing that certain individuals are successful and praised for it as well as insecurity that their philosophy of "success is all due to luck" is in jeopardy.

> Personal insecurity seeing that certain individuals are successful and praised for it as well as insecurity that their philosophy of "success is all due to luck" is in jeopardy.

Nope, that's not it. I don't feel insecure due to other people's successes, and I don't believe for one second that either Steve Jobs' or Elon Musk's or Richard Branson's or Jesus' successes where in any way due to luck. They deserved the majority of their success. Sure, not without some stepping on some people's feet or making some enemies or doing some unethical things or by standing on the shoulders of the work that thousands of people have done for them.

But luck didn't have much to do with any of these stories, and I certainly don't have a philosophy of "success is all due to luck". Still, well put :)