The Leadership Of Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

The definition for leader is the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. This definition defines odysseus from The Odyssey because he is a person who commands a small army through Danger and survives. He keeps his men alive because he has analytical skills he takes the tasks at hand to his full attention and takes steps until the task is complete this helps him when he escapes the clutches of a cyclops and saves his men.

Peter F. Drucker, an American-Australian educator said, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Leadership is part of the story, The Odyssey and the leadership of Odysseus, the main character, shapes the story. The Odyssey was about a group of warriors from the Trojan War trying to get home and survive the perils that kept them from getting there. Their leader, Odysseus, saw them through their journey that was full of cruel monsters, violent gods, and murderous mortals until Odysseus was the only man left of them able to go home. Even after his hard travels, he has to defeat the people who wanted to take over his home of Ithaca.

“The art of leadership is saying no, and not saying yes”(Tony Blair). In the Odyssey, Odysseus is the captain of a large fleet trying to get back to their home, Ithaca. Odysseus, with his crew, had to go through many obstacles to return to Ithaca. Odysseus was a bad leader because he was selfish, arrogant, and couldn’t control his men.

Odysseus had returned to Ithaca and went to tell Penelope that he had come home but he needed to prove to her that he was Odysseus. Penelope challenged many men to string a bow and shoot it so she could figure out if Odysseus was back. Odysseus was the only man that could string the bow which hinted to penelope that this was her husband. This story sounds very violent and it definitely was, but Odysseus had the bravery and strength to string a bow and kill all of the men around him. By demonstrating his courage, bravery, and power Odysseus obtained the role of a good leader for being able to fight for his wife and do it while no one else could.

Odysseus shows leadership by making strategic decisions for his crew and being the King of

“A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone” (Henry). This quote by Henry Kissinger perfectly describes why Odysseus is a good leader. Odysseus has been lost at sea for ten years after the end of the Trojan War. The Odyssey, written by Homer, is the story of his tumultuous journey home. Odysseus encounters many difficulties along the way, including temptresses, monsters, and a Cyclops.

In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus demonstrates his unimpressive and weak leadership skills. He is brave in his decision-making because he knows what is best for him and what must be done to get back to Ithaca, but it is done out of selfishness. His selfishness is portrayed by being thoughtless about putting his men into dangerous situations even if it results in their deaths along the way. Although he puts himself and his safety before his shipmates, he frightens them into not questioning him which causes them to obey his orders. He does not take advice from anyone because everything he does is to make an impression on the gods and capture their attention. Hardships are thrown his way throughout his journey, and he distracted

An anonymous author wrote, "Leadership is not a position or title, it is action and example. " This idea that leadership is not a title, but earned by actions and examples can be directly applied to Odysseus' poor leadership and destruction of his crew. Odysseus claimed to be an influential leader but his actions showed otherwise when he faced Scylla and was tempted by the Cattle of the Sun God. Odysseus was not a strong leader and ultimately contributed to the destruction of his own men because Odysseus chose to sacrifice his own crew rather than himself and Odysseus didn’t take responsibility for his actions that were detrimental to his crew.

A gratifying leader acquires certain traits that allows them to take on such a difficult task. Leadership is easier defined then implemented; many leaders approach situations in a different manner however they all display selflessness. The epic is about the main character Odysseus who has been struggling for ten years to return to his home in Ithaca after guiding his men in the Trojan war. Throughout the epic “The Odyssey” Odysseus displays god like qualities his rash sense of superiority clouds his judgment and studiously judges others through his harsh tone and uncivil actions. When the main character Odysseus came from his confrontation with the goddess Circe his group of men are happy and grateful to see him.

A great question to ask is what does it take to display good leadership. What is a good leader dependant on? Size? Strength? A good leader mostly depends on attitude and determination. A good leader can come in any shape or size, but it depends on the determination and the level of courage. Odysseus did not show leadership in The Odyssey.

Odysseus displays several excellent leadership traits, and this exemplifies the hero's multitude of strengths. First, his leadership is demonstrated because his crew obeys his commands. Homer’s text states that his crew, “delivered me from my restraints.” Because his crew respect him, they obey him. As well as exhibiting exemplary leadership, Odysseus also displays a myriad of weaknesses.

In the epic poem The Odyssey written by Homer, Odysseus is a good leader because his men put their faith and loyalty in him and Odysseus can use his wits to get his men out of deadly crises.

I believe Odysseus learns about leadership throughout the book continually however, I think particularly in book 9 when he faces the Polyphemus' cave is a great example of his leadership. After Odysseus and his men sail through the night they cross until the mainland where they instantly come upon a cave full of sheep and crates of milk and cheese. Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon, returns and at first shows great hospitality, but some turns hostile. He becomes hungry and eats two of Odysseus' men and decides to imprison the rest in his cave for future meals.

A good leader would be a humble leader and congratulate their men for their accomplishments, not saying it was the men that abetted him at all. In another view Robert Fitzgerald summarized ,“He has been away for twenty years. Only one creature recognized him.(Fitzgerald. 694)” When Odysseus arrives back in his hometown, nobody recognized him at all. Odysseus was gone for so long and didn't care that much to come

“Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.” One of the greatest facets that any person can possess is leadership, the ability to create change for the better. Across the world, many believe Odysseus is one of the most iconic representations of what a hero should be, but the question of whether or not he was a good leader will always be open to interpretation. Every single person in the world has a unique style and strategy in order to efficiently follow through his or her plan and attain his or her set goal. Odysseus’s leadership style and strategy often raise inquiries of whether or not it was effective.