The article has devoted the analysis of dynamics of the institute of political leadership in the second half of XX – beginning of XXI centuries. The author examines the main conflict line in the triangle: leader–elite–people. At the same time, he comes to a conclusion about the purposeful policy of the elites of the leading countries of the world to weaken the “personal” component in political systems. The first stage of the struggle of the “ruling class” against the leaders was associated with the erosion of powers and functionality of the latter, as well as the creation of a dense functionary “shell” around them to prevent the populist course of the leaders. The second stage was characterized by the restructuration of the power space under the format of “joint-stock company”, where the leaders had only a “blocking”, but not a “controlling” block of shares. Finally, the third stage, which began recently, is marked by the “de-sacralisation” of the institute of leadership and moreover the transformation of political leaders into the fake and grotesque person. It indicates, at least, a temporary victory of the elites over their main competitor. Noteworthy, this process affects both the leading Western States (France, Great Britain) and some post-Soviet countries (Ukraine, Armenia).