There are two supposedly conflicting hypotheses as to what makes for great national leaders: one is that such leaders successfully shape public opinion, and the other is that they are adept at reacting to it  However, treating these hypotheses as mutually exclusive is evidently a mistake
All leaders who have had success getting their programs passed by their country' s legislature have been adroit both in shaping and reacting to public opinion
It is impossible to successfully shape public opinion without in some way reacting to it.