Imposing leaders left one feeling totally gutted (5)
I believe the answer is:
lofty
'imposing' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'leaders left one feeling totally gutted' is the wordplay.
'leaders' indicates taking the first letters.
'gutted' means to remove the middle letters (to gut something is to remove its insides).
'totally' with its centre removed is 'ty'.
The first letters of 'left one feeling' is 'lof'.
'lof'+'ty'='LOFTY'
(Other definitions for lofty that I've seen before include "Haughty" , "Majestic - patronising" , "Eminent" , "Exalted" , "Noble; aloof" .)