I like this articulation of a certain socially catalytic role. It is very must akin to ReLocalize Creativity's idea of See the Systems and Cave Drawings. Help people see something there or possibly there so that it becomes theirs.
"Furthermore, because new forms of interdependence are not easily perceived by most individuals in their everyday lives, Dewey saw a critical role for what he termed “social science experts” but we might with no more abuse of terminology call “entrepreneurs”, “leaders”, “founders”, “pioneer” or, as we prefer, “Mirror”. Just as George Washington's leadership helped the US both perceive itself as a nation and a nation that had to democratically choose its fate after his term in office, the **role of such mirrors is to perceive a new form of interdependence** (e.g. solidarity among workers, the carbon-to-global-warming chain), **explain it to those involved by both word and deed**, and thereby **empower a new public** to come into existence. Historical examples are union leaders, founders of rural electricity cooperatives, and the leaders who founded the United Nations. Once this emergent public is understood, recognized, and empowered to govern the new interdependence, the **role of the mirror fades away**, just as Washington returned to Mount Vernon."