A Powerful Leader
This article is an essay on how Odysseus showed leadership throughout the Odyssey.
Leadership is a challenging skill to master because it requires an immense amount of responsibility. However, it is not impossible. This message is accentuated in Homer’s well-known epic poem, The Odyssey. Throughout the entire text, Odysseus, the protagonist, proves that he is an excellent leader by exhibiting a tremendous amount of compassion and extensive intelligence.
Firstly, Odysseus is a powerful leader because he displays endless consideration for his men and boosts their morale. An example of this is when Odysseus motivates his men as they are about to cross Scylla. He “walks up and down from bow to stern, trying to put heart into them, standing over every oarsman, saying gently, ‘Friends, have we never been in danger before this?” (Fitzgerald 216). The crewmen relax as they listen to the words of their leader, which shows how easily Odysseus is able to lead his men. Odysseus is able to inspire, influence and create a positive impact on his crew to never lose hope. In essence, Odysseus gains the trust of his crew and helps them move forward, which is a quality that good leaders possess. Later on, “[Odysseus] carves a massive cake of beeswax into bits and rolls them in [his] hands until they soften…[He] carries wax along the line, and lays it thick on the [crew’s] ears” (Fitzgerald 214–215). This action demonstrates that Odysseus values his men and makes it his duty to protect them. Odysseus’s compassionate personality continues to help him build a stronger bond with his men and influences them to work hard for their shared goal. These instances display Odysseus’s compassion and prove his leadership abilities.
In addition to Odysseus’s compassion, his intelligence also proves his great leadership skills. When the group is trapped in the cyclops’s cave Odysseus “draws on all [his] wits, and runs through tactics…[He] ties the [sheep] silently together…then slings a man under each middle one” (Fitzgerald 158). Due to Odysseus’s intelligence, the crew avoids many potentially tragic situations. A pivotal quality of excellent leadership is intelligence as it helps the leaders think critically and rationally, which helps to gain respect and trust. Odysseus is able to come up with a unique plan under high stakes conditions which shows that he is a perfect fit for a leader. When Odysseus introduces himself to Polyphemus, he says, “‘My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy’” (Fitzgerald 156). Later on, when Polyphemus screams for help, no one comes since he keeps repeating “‘Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me, Nohbdy’s ruined me!” (Fitzgerald 157). This is a very clever tactic since Odysseus is able to misconstrue the other cyclops’. Odysseus is often able to make difficult decisions instantaneously and gets many of his men significantly far on their journey. Therefore, Odysseus’s quick thinking and careful decision-making prove that he is a strong leader.
Others may argue that Odysseus is not a good leader because he risks his men’s lives by acting selfishly. When the group reaches Polyphemus’s cave, the crew suggests, “‘Why not take these cheeses, get them stowed, come back, throw open all the pens, and make a run for it?…Yet [Odysseus] refuses” (Fitzgerald 151). This shows that Odysseus does not take his men’s viewpoints into consideration before making a decision which leads to severe consequences. Good communication is an important skill leaders should have. Therefore, Odysseus should be considered a terrible leader. However, this perspective is incorrect as it fails to acknowledge that a leader is not perfect and that Odysseus takes responsibility for his mistake. As the group is trapped in Polyphemus’s cave, Odysseus “drives [his] big hand spike…and [his] four fellows give [him] a hand, lugging it near the cyclops…straight forward they sprint, lift it, and ram it deep in [Polyphemus’s] crater eye” (Fitzgerald 156). Even though Odysseus makes a mistake that costs him several of his men, he makes amends by devising a clever plan to save the rest of his crew. Though his plans do not always succeed, Odysseus is able to learn from his mistakes. As a result Odysseus is an ideal leader.
Ultimately, Odysseus shows a great deal of compassion and intelligence and should be considered a respected leader. A leader is bound to make mistakes but what is important is that they grow, learn, and continue to be a positive influence on those around them.
Works cited:
Homer. The Odyssey
Translated by Robert Fitzgerald, Farra, Straus and Giroux, Inc., 1998.