How did David Koresh become a leader?

by promising to deliver whatever the prospected converts wants. And the converts accepted David Lorresh as leaders, because it gives them hope to get what they want. Believing is the easy way out. Thinking is hard. Note: David Koresh was highly knowledgeable about the King James Bible; in fact, he had an encyclopedic ability of recalling anything in the entire bible without flaw or failing, when it came to scripture; But as you're well aware, he vainly misconstrued God's Word.