My understanding was always that Gandalf said no thank you, and that Saruman got the leadership almost by default; but like
G55, I'm not sure that's based in the text.
Today I have actually learned two things! The first is that Cirdan was in the White Council, which I never knew, but:
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Originally Posted by Silm: Of the Rings of Power
...and in that time was first made the Council of the Wise that is called the White Council, and therein were Elrond and Galadriel and Círdan, and other lords of the Eldar, and with them were Mithrandir and Curunír.
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I don't know whether to feel bad for Cirdan that he got booted out of the White Council meetups in the
Hobbit movies...
Oh, and in fact:
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Originally Posted by Silm again
but Mithrandir refused the office, since he would have no ties and no allegiance, save to those who sent him, and he would abide in no place nor be subject to any summons.
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So yeah, Gandalf declared himself a free spirit who wouldn't let The Man hold him back by making him The Man. That one turned out well, Mithrandir...!
The other thing I've learnt is that Elrond probably named the council, because:
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Originally Posted by UT: Galadriel & Celeborn
The army that was besieging Imladris was caught between Elrond and Gil-galad, and utterly destroyed. Eriador was cleared of the enemy, but lay largely in ruins.
At this time the first Council was held*, and it was there determined that an Elvish stronghold in the east of Eriador should be maintained at Imladris rather than in Eregion. At that time also Gil-galad gave Vilya, the Blue Ring, to Elrond, and appointed him to be his vice-regent in Eriador...
*The text was emended to read "the first White Council." In the Tale of Years the formation of the White Council is given under the year 2463 of the Third Age; but it may be that the name of the Council of the Third Age deliberately echoed that of this Council held long before, the more, especially as several of the chief members of the one had been members of the other.
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The ring-giving implies that Elrond was a member of the First White Council, and we know from the Council of Elrond that he's prone to a) reminiscing about previous get-togethers, and b) creating symbolism out of basically everything ("The Company of the Ring shall be Nine..."). Dude named his foster-son the future king "Hope"; he is absolutely the person who would go "Well do I remember the vast quantities of booze we consumed after the defeat of Sauron, three thousand years ago! This council is heir to that, a new White Council; and I have some of the new Dorwinion vintage to celebrate with."
hS