Vanguardism Appears to be very unpopular

And I don't get why. Context: this is from my experience talking, mainly online, with anarchists.

I don't get it. Perhaps I misudnerstand, the idea is that those of us that are class consciousness must play an integral role in social change. It is obvious that most of society, at least here in the UK, is not class conscious. That doesnt mean the masses are stupid, it's a consequence of years of socialism being misrepresented and marginalised in discourse. Of course people won't thus be class conscious. But did Lenin not advocate listening to workers, not just talking down to or lecturing them? So why does that characterisation persist?

Or am I just talking to the wrong people.