From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ringleader \Ring"lead'er\, noun
1. The leader of a circle of dancers; hence, the leader of a number of persons acting together; the leader of a herd of animals.
A primacy of order, such an one as the ringleader hath in a dance. --Barrow.
2. Opprobriously, a leader of a body of men engaged in the violation of law or in an illegal enterprise, as rioters, mutineers, or the like.
The ringleaders were apprehended, tried, fined, and imprisoned. --Macaulay.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a person who leads (especially in illicit activities)
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
51 Moby Thesaurus words for "ringleader": Mahdi, agent provocateur, agitator, agitprop, bell cow, bell mare, bellwether, born leader, boss, cacique, catalyst, charismatic leader, choirmaster, choragus, conductor, coryphaeus, demagogue, duce, exciter, file leader, firebrand, fomenter, forerunner, fugleman, incendiary, inciter, inflamer, inspired leader, instigator, keynoter, leader, leader of men, man higher up, messiah, mischief-maker, pacemaker, pacesetter, policy maker, precentor, provocateur, provoker, rabble-rouser, rouser, sachem, seditionary, seditionist, standard-bearer, symphonic conductor, torchbearer, troublemaker, urger
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Let's see what we can do if we put our heads together.
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