That is true. Trotsky had fierce polemics with Lenin while in exile in Europe, calling him a "Red Robespierre". Than he actually joined the Bolsheviks and led the Soviet Military Commission during their coup attempt, if I remember. If they had succeed he would not have lasted long. In a counter-factual timeline I could easily see him either being pushed out or (more likely) leading some libertarian "left opposition" movement against the Bolsheviks.The guy was popular for a time but seems to have been arrogant as hell.
On the other hand one of the few Bolsheviks who was both in touch with the common worker and had some practical sense was Djugashvili, "Stalin". I could see him going far.Of course we know what happened in OTL
Bukharin, Zinoviev , Kollantai, and Radek were mostly good for picking their noses.Bukharin went much further with his radical faction in the US Socialist Party then he ever could have in Russia.
Stalin? There is no way such a light weight intellect is going to go far in that party! The party as run by out of touch intellectuals who would look down their nose at someone like Stalin. By all accounts he had no manners, no taste and no sophistication. For a "worker's party" they had very few workers at the very top.