Ted Neward has a good post asking who is the moral leader of the Java language [1], particularly with respect to Java 7 and the future of the various closure proposals.  I think Ted makes a fair point and certainly there have over the years been any number of strong and influential leaders that guided these kinds of decisions (like James Gosling [2], Gilad Bracha [3], Peter von der Ahe [4], Neal Gafter [5], and Josh Bloch [6]). 

Officially, the future of Java is in the hands of the JCP but can the language itself evolve without a single guiding mind?  It certainly seems that the majority of languages out there are built around a core vision espoused by (usually) a single creator.  Java may even be unusual in having a series of visionary leaders over time.  Are committees where languages go to die?  What do you think?