The communities of rural mountain villages in Japan are currently facing various problems, such as a shortage of young people due to the low birthrate and increased longevity of the elderly. To sustain and revitalize such communities, local leaders who can focus on and encourage suitable countermeasures are indispensable. We have investigated the structure of interrelationships centering on the head of the municipal ward in a rural mountain village forming part of Nishiwaga Town, Iwate Prefecture, using social network analysis. The results revealed that the head of the ward acting alone was unable to function effectively as a local leader, and that two prominent individuals were better able to achieve local aims, one probably providing a network for promoting information-sharing within the community, and the other acting as an intermediary with the elderly population in order to reach compromises. This social network centering on two persons, rather than one, acting as the head of the ward appeared to be beneficial. Therefore, it is considered that in remote rural villages an effective leadership structure can be achieved through two or more persons who can maintain a community social network.