the companions never gave me any radiant quests until i was the leader, because yeah, its the leader who does all the actual mercenary work. considering how fast they shove you through that questline, i think it was all just a conspiracy by kodlak because he was sick of doing everything.
The order of quests is wrong.
They should make us talk with NPC X (the one that gives the side-quest), before talking to the main quest giver of the guild....
I think that completing all the side-quests in Guild is necessary.
Remember that before, we had to kill rats in NPC X basemant? And this was a necessary quest?
Morrowind was also like that...