Abstract
This essay presents the case for Francis Bacon as what we would today term a leadership theorist avant la letter, focusing on the development of the character of leaders, faced with all the pressures of their role. We aim to show Bacon's leadership theory at once anticipates without directly embodying contemporary leadership theories (in part 1): not only presenting a robust moral vision for leadership, as serving the public good (part 2), but differentiating characteristic kinds of “followers,” with their strengths, weaknesses, and characteristic vices, and realistically addressing how to best lead them (Part 3); and providing ten "how to" points of advice in "Of Great Place" about how a leader can govern themself, so they can best lead with others, orienting their leadership to good ends, delegating and taking counsel wisely (Part 4). The Essays, we propose, are a renaissance leadership manual, written by a man who had risen to high office himself, which are of continuing practical pertinence for leaders today.
Recommended Citation
Sharpe, Matthew
(2026)
"Francis Bacon as Philosopher of Leadership: The Essays as Manual for Values-Based Leaders,"
The Journal of Values-Based Leadership: Vol. 19
:
Iss.
2
, Article 19.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22543/1948-0733.1634
Available at:
https://scholar.valpo.edu/jvbl/vol19/iss2/19
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