What level start?
Given the cleric can prepare spells to avoid overlap that shouldn't be a problem.
You probably want one bodyguard apiece. Strange but true, halfling cavaliers can make excellent bodyguards. Given that you're covering the magic end of things a bunch of non-superstitious barbarians make the best strikers, though a cohort with collaborative thaumaturgy might be tempting.
Natural-born leader is the obvious trait to take. With that, a 20 cha (doable even for a cleric if aasimar is within reason, and a +2 wis/+2 cha headband), a diadem of inspiring rule and the nobility domain you could have a 6th level cohort and a bunch of followers ranging up to 4th level.
On the grounds that you don't want your bodyguard to go down in one hit you might make that your 4th level guy. A halfling cavalier with order of the star, the honor guard archetype, the helpful halfling trait, combat reflexes and in harms way can give you +5 AC and also aid your spells in various ways. Or with order of the paw they can aid your saves instead of your spells.
For your cohort I'd consider someone who can cast collaborative thaumaturgy and who gets a lot of spell slots. An oracle might do. Make them dual-cursed and you have a limitless source of rerolls for good or ill. This combines especially well with the heavens mystery.
Barbarians are the easiest to run as the low level guys. Power attack + furious focus helps them lay down hurt and rage plus your buffs lets them connect.
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I thought Leadership gave you 1 Cohort and several followers, meaning:
Cohort : 1 NPC with class level maximun 2 levels lower than you.
Followers: Lots of NPC with NPC class level.
That means that your NPC at level around 8 will be useless for combat, 1 fireball and good bye. Even if you buff them, because I dont think you will be encountering low level enemies , they will end up dead really fast.
However, it is a good feat. Normally I believe npc work as Work power, they mantain your keep, vessel, airship, castle, fortress etc, and can make great guards, innkeepers, etc. Even some specialist could work as informants or Local town spies, following the mayor, the guard captain, without having to engage in combat.
The Cohort is great, given you have enough buff with bard and cleric, I think that another class giving you more buff will be redundant. I would suggest going Blunt-force-trauma, Barbarian or fighter.
But that is just me.
Regards!.-
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For the support characters:
1. Channeling focused battlefield healer cleric of Milani with Beacon of Hope, quick channel, and selective channel. Summoning for backup strategy.
2. Bard with all the inspiration boosting tricks. Archery or reach combat (with longspear+banner of ancient kings) for secondary combat role.
For the cohorts:
Switch hitter Slayer
Bloodrager
Everyone has fate's favored.
Common buffs:
Channel with beacon of hope: +2 morale to attack, saves, skill checks, ability checks
Prayer: +2 (thanks to fate's favored) to attack, saves, skill checks, ability checks, etc. -1 to enemies.
Inspire Courage: +2 (or more with boosts) competence to attack and damage, saves vs fear
Haste: +1 to attack, AC, and reflex saves and bonus attack.
Now, you've set yourself up for a bit of a challenge in this scenario because in my experience, it is easier to buff at lower levels than to be the buff-receiving beatstick. (If the party were Slayer and bloodrager with the bard and cleric as cohorts, I think it would be stronger).
There's also a little bit of a challenge due to party roles: Cleric and bard are IMO by far the best two classes when it comes to buffing, but that leaves you without a sorcerer or wizard and while either the bard or cleric or both could be capable melee combatants (reach cleric type construction for the cleric) and the bard could potentially be built as a passable archer, your party will potentially lack for up-front beef and ranged attack ability. You also have the challenge that your primary buff recipients are lower level cohorts and that means that they can't afford to lose BAB for classes like Magus as much as they could if they were the same level as the rest of the group.
So for the two cohorts, you needed:
A. To get some additional arcane spellcasting ability--as much as possible without sacrificing BAB.
B. To have both ranged and melee ability
C. To have some ability to detect and remove traps
Slayer + Bloodrager was the best combo I could come up with to address those issues, though switch hitter ranger (with animal companion for an additional buff target) and the trap detection trait might work even better than the slayer, and Magus is a lot more capable than bloodrager in the arcane department and so might be another potential choice.