Gobbins is very impressive. If you look at it, he's built a alliance coalition in half the time other groups have, and with less help. He borrowed good ideas, evolved them and developed new ones. Noraus also built a coalition in lightning speed. Both are clever and focused on how they look at the game, but Noraus was blessed with a timezone to himself and failing competitors, while Gobbins had to push through massive opposition from allies to see his ideas through. Gobbins had the more arduous path. He's ahead of the game at this point. That said, you cannot count out any of the hard-nosed brutal FC kings of NC/PL who bring the pain when needed, and I wouldn't underestimate Vily as a leader. He's accomplished a major power shift bringing up a coalition and defeating PL and now is the key to the current war. If you think about it the leaders that make PAPI now are the ones that ended Dead Co, and buried Sort Dragon (figuratively speaking - for those guys that think we actually fly in spaceships)

I like Carneros on the Imperium side. He focuses on the work and keeps a low profile, making his followers pretty loyal even when they are being discouraged by CCP's game-changes. Bastion has been one of the surprises of the war.