2 - Moral capital and leadership

Summary

He was more concerned to be a good man than to be thought one; and so the less he courted fame, the more did it attend his steps unsought.

Sallust (on Cato), Conspiracy of Catiline

In the following chapters I will be looking at the politics of moral capital largely through the prism of leadership. Leaders generally form a significant repository of trust for those whose interests they try to advance, or whose causes they actively and symbolically represent, or in whom they have inspired some ideal to be realized. It is in studies of leadership, or in political biographies, that students of politics most commonly address the subject that I here label moral capital, usually under the banner “moral authority” or “moral character.” (During electoral campaigns, it arises as “the character issue.”) It is often clear from leadership studies that the perceived character of a person along with assessment of their general leadership competence is a significant factor in the way they are appraised and dealt with, not only by supporters and followers, but even by political opponents. Genuine respect facilitates the achievement of political goals, while its absence or loss may make it impossibly difficult to gain even trivial ends.

My purpose is not, however, that of most leadership studies which try to define kinds or qualities of leadership and the conditions under which they are likely to emerge.