Part 4/9:
As Michels analyzed organizations that were touted to be the epitome of democratic structures, he uncovered a consistent pattern: those who assumed leadership inevitably controlled decision-making processes. This pattern held true in his investigation of a German auto workers union, which he identified as an exemplar of democracy. Instead of a truly egalitarian system, he found a hierarchy with a select group of leaders steering the rest of the membership, thus proving the existence of an elite ruling cadre—a phenomenon prevalent across various sectors and unions.