The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word LEADER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
L
E
A
D
E
R
More clues leading to the result LEADER
- Boss in newspaper article
- Guide, one written by editor?
- . Boris Johnson? One petitions to get rid of him!
- No 1 from Adele, originally by Queen
- President‘s view of newspaper?
- Extremely literate and eager editorial
- He has the people behind him
- Sound of German song, current number one?
- Article compiled from Franco/ Anglo/German articles
- An article, or three in different languages
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "No 1" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case no 1 = leader.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does LEADER mean?
LEADER noun- Any person that leads or directs
- An animal that leads
- Someone or something that leads or conducts