Odysseus's Effective Leadership Skills

Improved Essays
Lastly, when Odysseus descends into the dangerous underworld, he makes his his effective leadership skills evident and risks his life for the safety of his men. Before traveling to the underworld, Odysseus is informed it is an inescapable place where danger is omnipresent. When Odysseus first arrives, he is asked by a shade “‘how could [he] cross alive into this gloom at the world’s end?’” since “no man goes a journey without ship’s timber under him” (Homer 190, 172-8). Despite the fact that it’s a scary place, he utilizes his bravery and remains a superior leader - BE MORE SPECIFIC HERE “[commanding] [his] officers” and protecting his men from the eerie pit of the underworld (186, 45-50). After speaking with several different shades, including

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus demonstrates bravery as a trait of exceptional leadership when he fearlessly rescues his crewman from Circe’s potion. Despite seeing the “blinding tears” and “dry lips” of one of his crewmen, Eurylokhos, after returning for Circe’s hall, Odysseus decides to visit anyway and rescue his crewman from the unknown. When Eurylokhos arrives in a frantic state near the ship where Odysseus awaits the return of his men; Odysseus remains calm after he discovers his men are in danger, he “ [sees] nothing for it but to go” and rushes to the rescue (Homer 173, line 300-301). He “ [takes] the inland path alone” to arrive at Circe’s hall in the most effective amount of time where his men are held captive by…

    • 190 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus uses his leadership and intelligence to attempt to conquer each obstacle he finds in his path. For instance, after Odysseus’ men foolishly decide to stay in the land of the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus commands, “ I drove them…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Another example of this is in the Cyclops. Odysseus was courageous because when the rest of his crew was freaking out and being scared of the Cyclop he was facing the monster to try to make an escape plan. Finally, Odysseus was an effective leader because he was determined. An example of this is when he burned Troy to the ground. Odysseus built a huge horse and got into the city…

    • 171 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the Odyssey, Odysseus shows good leadership throughout his twenty year journey back to Ithaca. There is evidence and details to support why Odysseus shows good leadership in the Odyssey. To prove that Odysseus is a good leader, he shows intelligence which is part of what the Greeks valued. Odysseus is strong willed and he puts his life at risk when trying to save his men from all the dangers throughout the journey. Odysseus uses the Trojan Horse Trick to win the Trojan War and he tricks Polyphemus into thinking that his name was “nohbdy” which is evidence from the Odyssey that shows that Odysseus is intelligent.…

    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus Leadership Essay

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages

    John Maxwell once said, “Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” Odysseus, a hero in the epic The Odyssey, becomes an example of this in his attempt to return to his home. While sailing, he decided to sail by a large creature and lose only a few men, compared to sailing by a whirlpool and possibly losing everyone and his ship. Odysseus also gets his crew to blind a large one-eyed monster and hide under his animals to free him and his crew. Odysseus was a strong leader and did everything he could to help his crew because of his decisions to sacrifice some men rather than possibly lose them all and to escape from a monster by hiding under his livestock.…

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus Heroic Qualities

    • 899 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Although some readers think his actions are reckless, I believe Odysseus is a clever, heroic leader. In my opinion, someone is heroic if they put something at risk to complete a task, and are courageous in doing so. To be a good leader, one should inspire people and work alongside them to accomplish a goal. A leader should be compassionate and diplomatic.…

    • 899 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    How could Odysseus be a good leader despite all the faults he has made as a leader ? In my opinion, Odysseus was a very good and courageous person but was NOT a good leader in any way. I know that my point of view on this subject is very strong but hear me out here. I know you may be wondering “what proof does she have that Odysseus was a bad leader?” And actually I have quite a few, now let’s get started.…

    • 84 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is not an example of an effective leader as he does not make the best decisions and does not communicate well with his companions. One of the many characteristics of a good leader is the ability to make good decisions and Odysseus does not perform this ability well. When Odysseus and his crew arrive at the Cyclops Island, his men decide to steal some food and run back to the ship but Odysseus, however, demands to see the cyclops Polyphemus, who lives on the island. “Ah, how sound that was!…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is a strong leader when he protects his crew, makes tough decisions, and gives valuable advice. First, Odysseus is a strong leader when he protects his crew. When Odysseus and his crew face the sirens, Odysseus takes on a motherly role. He knows what to do to protect his crew and keep them safe.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus Hero Analysis

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When reading The Odyssey, most think of the main character, Odysseus, as a true and epic hero on his adventures. In reality, Odysseus is not as much of a hero as his made out to be. His decisions are cowardly and unwise of him to make. The Greek gods do most of the work during his venture to Ithaca. Plus, Odysseus’ motives are almost entirely for his own self gain.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the epic poem, the Odyssey, written by Homer, it tells of the amazing feats performed by Odysseus. He goes on impossible adventures for the average man; He successfully leads his crew through the sea, or does he? Even though Odysseus may show that he is clever, he also shows that he does not listen, is very temperamental, and is untrustworthy; Because of these character traits, he cannot be an effective leader. To begin, Odysseus shows multiple times that he does not listen to his crew. His crew tries to warn him of the multiple dangers that were to come from his actions, yet he refuses to listen, putting several of his crew’s lives in danger, and even killing a few of them.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One would think that good leaders would not try to demoralize their crew, even if the circumstances are not going in their favor. Likewise, Odysseus is showing the lack of his leadership by not making the logical decision by not listening to the song of the Seirenes. He again is lacking in Homer’s expectation of Arete by not showing excellence or being a good leader, which should be the goal in one’s life. On the outside, Odysseus is perceived as a good leader and person, but once one starts peeling the layers back of his personality his true colors start to show. He also puts an unnecessary burden on the shoulders of his men and himself that would have been avoided if not for Odysseus’s narcissistic morals.…

    • 1948 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus does not only show his bravery in the underworld, but also with his encounter of the Cyclops, Polyphemus. While the cyclops was sleeping, Odysseus and his men created a wooden spear that they used to kill him. To explain, the text states “The cyclops bellowed and the rock roared round him, and we fell back in fear. Clawing his face he tugged the bloody spike out of his eye” (9.390-93). This portion of the text shows that Odysseus is displayed by his bravery because he took a sharpened spike and used it to kill the cyclop.…

    • 950 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus demonstrates bravery as a trait of exceptional leadership when he fearlessly rescues his crew from permanently being transformed by Circe’s magical potion. After Eurylokhos, one of Odysseus’s crewmen, leads a search group onto the island of Circe, he returns from Circe’s hall so horrified he is unable to speak, with “blinding tears” pooling in his eyes (Homer 172, 272). By questioning Eurylokhos about the events that took place at Circe’s house, Odysseus learns his men are in some sort of danger, and therefore is determined to retrieve them at once. Odysseus commands Eurylokhos to lead him back to the house from which he came, but Eurylokhos begs Odysseus to let him stay behind, and Odysseus,…

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus Character Traits

    • 1047 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In his journey, his excessive pride and self-confidence diminishes and his patience increases. Odysseus has the defining character traits of a Homeric leader: strength, courage, nobility, a thirst for glory, and confidence in his authority. His most distinguishing trait is his sharp intellect. Due to these qualities, he had a lot of pride in himself. But, by the end of the…

    • 1047 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays