I agree here! Number of identifications can be a sign of a “leader,” but not necessarily. It’s like trying to ascribe one factor to determine the health of the economy.
I usually check over the identifier’s profile, whether they have any interesting journal posts, and—most importantly—I just use time. Over time, you’ll start to recognize who are really giving a lot to your iNaturalist community. And you also learn to appreciate them much more.
On a different note, If one is a top identifier and and pretty big leader in the community, I think one can feel a sense a joy in helping others.
But then again, you don’t need to be a top identifier to help others. And is it selfish to feel good about helping other people? 
Note that I’m using leader here, but I really don’t think that encompasses the character of our valued community members