I'm not an expert on Buddhism, but I've dabbled and learned that there are as many (or more) forms of it as there are of Christianity. Some forms are highly syncretic, having borrowed and incorporated deities from local religions that were popular before Buddhism arrived.

Pure Land Buddhism, which originated in Vietnam, even borrowed major elements, like divine sacrificial redemption, from Christianity.

Other forms are more purely philosophical, stressing meditation as a helpful spiritual practice but incorporating few or no ideas about divinity. (Some practitioners of the more philosophical streams of Buddhism claim they are the ones being true to the Buddha's teachings, but this is disputed and, I think, unprovable.)

Tibetan Buddhism falls somewhere probably toward the middle of that spectrum. The Dalai Lama himself doesn't seem to particularly value ideas about divinity, and it's possible to read him as more purely philosophical. But the religion he leads includes at least some significant syncretic divinity features. That's not to mention ideas about reincarnation, which he himself is supposed to be a product of, but which not all Buddhists agree with. (And which he can be read as disagreeing with, depending on how you interpret his words.)

Forgive the ramble, but I guess what I'm saying is that in such a diverse religious or philosophical world, human nature pretty much assures that cults of personality will arise. Since Buddhism features (on the whole) no dogma or central authority, I guess you're as likely to run across cults as you are in Christianity.

I'm glad you spotted the signs in your group! But Buddhists I know would probably advise you to keep looking, because the benefits you were seeking help many people in non-cult-like Buddhist settings.