Not every revolution is successful.

We fixate on leaders for simplifying our study of history but there is a lot of groundwork to be laid for a revolution to gain momentum before it can cross the hurdles from the ruling class it encounters. A good example is the situation in Bolivia. It wasn’t just about getting Evo Morales elected into office but the mass support and organising from the working class that made MAS’ rise to power successful so that it could withstand a coup attempt backed by the US even after many of the supporters were murdered (even some party officials) by coup government. Lenin has said that revolutions don’t occur spontaneously. It’s a conscious action of a society to reorient itself which is why a vanguard party is important.