leading light
Field's top figure
A leading light is a prominent or influential person in a particular field or community—someone who guides or inspires others: She was a leading light in the civil rights movement.
The metaphor suggests a beacon that others follow.
The term is slightly formal and often appears in tributes or obituaries.
Imaginative planner of futures
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- innovatorCreator of new methods
- iconPictorial screen symbol
authority · influencer · trendsetter · pathfinder · forerunner · standard-bearer · torchbearer · figurehead
Leader or instruction book
- advisorOne who gives guidance
- coachOne who instructs
- teacherOne who instructs others
- guruRevered authority figure
counselor · tutor · educator · sage · master · instructor · sensei · elder
Coastal beacon tower
- navigationDetermining position and course
- harbor lightNavigational lamp at port
- channel markerWaterway navigation aid
- buoyTethered nautical signal
signal · foghorn · lantern · maritime · seafaring · coastal · watchtower · harbor
visionary
Imaginative planner of futures
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- innovatorCreator of new methods
icon · authority · influencer · trendsetter · pathfinder · forerunner · standard-bearer · torchbearer · figurehead · exemplar
guide
Leader or instruction book
guru · counselor · tutor · educator · sage · master · instructor · sensei · elder · preceptor
lighthouse
Coastal beacon tower
- navigationDetermining position and course
- harbor lightNavigational lamp at port
- channel markerWaterway navigation aid
buoy · signal · foghorn · lantern · maritime · seafaring · coastal · watchtower · harbor · anchorage
- celebritiesmovie stars, A-lister, pop stars, superstar, celebrity
- Fame Idiomsin the spotlight, center stage, in the limelight, household name, rising star
- notable figureshistorical figures, dignitary, luminary, presidents, celebrity
- spotlightspotlight, center stage, limelight, main attraction, star attraction
- maritime lightslighthouse, navigation light, navigation lights, harbor lights, lightship
- navigation aidscompass, maps, road signs, signs, GPS
leading lightfollower
One who supports another
nobody · nonentity · unknown · also-ran · rank and file
leading lightbad influence
One who encourages wrongdoing
dead weight · hindrance · drag · liability · deadwood
lead, leader, leading, beacon, leadership, leaders, lodestar, leads, misleading