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Examples Of Odysseus Being A Good Leader

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The brilliant U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur once said, “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.” This description of a leader can be used when telling of the great adventures of Odysseus on his way home to Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War. In Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus exhibits many qualities that confirm his ability to fit the role of a good leader. He encountered and overcame many obstacles that include fighting cyclops, monsters, giants and more. He did all of this with only the goal of returning to his beloved family in mind. Even though others may claim that Odysseus is not a good leader because of the amount of hubris he shows, the positive qualities such as his good judgement, bravery, and his ability to inspire others prove otherwise.
Being able to make the right decisions is a crucial …show more content…

Others may argue that Odysseus was excessively prideful, demonstrating hubris, which was looked down upon in the Greek Culture. An example of this is when Odysseus went to Circe for help on which course would be easiest to go through. She advised him of the “two enormous crags” (273), Scylla and Charybdis, “one thrust[ed] into the vaulting sky its jagged peaks… she[was] a grisly monster.. she [shot] out her heads, [and] wildly [swept] the reefs for dolphins” (274). Now, Odysseus, being the strong and prideful God that he was, asked Crice if he could fight Scylla off if she tries to hurt his men. Circe assured him that he was stubborn for thinking that, and there was no way he could possibly beat the monster. Even though this did show hubris, this also shows how considerate Odysseus was for the well-being of his men. He was willing to do anything and everything in his power to save his crew, even if it meant having to attack the deadly

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Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, however, what gives someone the title of a good or bad is decided by the decisions they make and how those decisions affect others. Odysseus led the squadron of soldiers in the trojan horse and is a hero of the Trojan War and the king of Ithaca. Consequently, this gives him experience when it comes acting in difficult situations. This experience should guide him to choose correctly when being put in a tight spot.

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He also shows lack of trust through his miscommunications and hubris. Odysseus is just a person who is trying to do what is right but sometimes things tempt him otherwise. Odysseus shows loyalty to his crew by rescuing them from Circe. After he has gained Circe's trust and admiration

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In the Odyssey, Odysseus incited the story. Even though he lost his men in the end, he brought out the most important things in them: never give up. However, besides being a good leader, Odysseus made some bad choices in The Odyssey, and sometimes didn’t look like a good leader. Three areas/incidents where Odysseus was a poor leader was his extreme hubris, at the battle of Troy, and when he encounters Polyphemus. First off, Odysseus threw himself and his crew into bedlam with his hubris.

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In the story, The Cyclops, he had to either be eaten alive or figure out a way out of the cave. Odysseus and his crew members found a good way out. In the story, The Sirens Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus needed to make a good decision that best helped him get out of that situation, he either had to choose going through Charybdis, which was a maelstrom, and lose everything including the ship or chose Scylla and lose 6 members of his crew. He chose to go through Scylla. All in all, it can be concluded that Odysseus was the strongest he could be and did everything he could.

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574 Words | 3 Pages

Influential Leadership Odysseus, the protagonist of The Odyssey an epic by Homer, exemplifies the characteristics of a good leader by inspiring his peers and growing as a character. One of the most important qualities that Odysseus possesses is his ability to motivate and inspire those around him and to be trusted by his followers. While approaching Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus gives his crew a motivational speech with a line saying, “Friends, have we never been in danger before this?”(p510 ln 601). By saying this, the crew is comforted and prepared for whatever comes at them.

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Overall, Odysseus is often portrayed as a “model hero”, but in reality he has many faults such as being untrustworthy, arrogant and

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Is Odysseus a real war hero? Did he actually like his crew or did he have them as bait so he could get himself home? The book The Odyssey by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, is an epic that is truly epic. The main character Odysseus and his crew are on their journey back from Troy after they have become war heroes. They have to face many dangerous creatures and gods to get home.

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Odysseus For millennia Odysseus has widely been regarded as a hero, but when a closer look is taken at the Odyssey it is seen that Odysseus possesses many traits generally held by a villain. Odysseus is more morally related to Jason of the Argonauts, a man often regarded as an antihero, than the great hero Achilles whom he is often compared to. Odysseus is unnecessarily cruel, extensively selfish and lacks the leadership qualities of a great hero. Throughout the epic poem, Odysseus is unnecessarily cruel and violent, a trait that most villains tend to possess.

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Kelsey Castles Mrs. Conceicao English 9 12 April 2024 Odysseus’s Leadership Qualities A positive leader shows good character through courage, passion, intelligence and care. The Odyssey by Homer tells the story of a man named Odysseus and his army traveling back to Ithaca after spending 10 years battling in Troy. On this journey home, Odysseus and his men confront many hardships, which forces Odysseus to take lead for his men. Odysseus leads his men home to Ithaca, even with all of the setbacks they face.

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For example, Odysseus showed great leadership when he was planning what to do with the suitors with his son, Telemachus, when he said, “Here is your part: at break of day tomorrow home with you, fo mingle with our princes”(Homer 599). Odysseus helped get his life and his family back. Also, the leadership by Odysseus helped get penelope back and also helped him and his son kill all the suitors. For instance, Odysseus also showed good leadership when he said, “Therefore you are to tie me up, tight as a splint, erect along the mast, and if I shout and beg to be united, take more turns of the rope to muffle me”(Homer 581). When Odysseus’s men were with the

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571 Words | 3 Pages

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus repeatedly shows that he is polytropos, for as Zeus says “There is no mortal half so wise”(3). Using his wits, Odysseus gets him and his men out of several sticky situations in the Odyssey, proving his leadership through his actions that save the lives of his crew member. On the other hand Odysseus’ streak of constantly outsmarting challenges, goes to his head, and unfortunately causes Odysseus to develop a hubris. His pride at times makes him arrogant, believing that he always knows best, which leads to the untimely demise of his crew. While Odysseus proves to be good leader by saving his crew from trouble with his wits, he is ultimately a bad leader because he refuses to listen to advice.

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1177 Words | 5 Pages

However, examples within the literary narrative of the Odyssey leaves the discussion open with regards to his leadership. Thus, the question of leadership supersedes the topic of Arete. Was Odysseus the ideal leader or did he portray undesirable leadership tendencies? The examples that will presented will illustrate that Odysseus hubris, risk taking prowess, and at times unwillingness to follow instructions often placed his crew in danger as he journeyed Ithaca.

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500 Words | 2 Pages

When Odysseus commands his men to go back to sea to voyage, he is a good leader because he is telling his men what to do. He is being a leader by protecting his men from the Ciccone 's army by leaving before reinforcements come. For example, when Odysseus and his men are heading to the sirens Odysseus states “you are to tie me up, tight as a splint” (Homer 1005). Odysseus is an admirable leader when he orders his men to tie him up and do not untie him because he is sacrificing himself for the good of his men. He is a leader when he does this because he lets his men not suffer the sirens while he has to.

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508 Words | 3 Pages

The first trait is that he is a very arrogant person and this often puts him and his men in danger. Secondly, Odysseus can be deceitful and not fully communicate the facts of each situation. Odysseus was a weak leader and his lack of vision in not seeing the strength and possibilities in his men combined with his inability to effectively communicate to those around him ultimately led to his failure of not being able to safely deliver his men back to Ithaca. The story of the Cyclops in Homer 's The Odyssey illustrated how Odysseus '

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761 Words | 4 Pages

Bravery, cleverness, and determination are three traits a good leader has. In Homer’s epic “The Odyssey,” Odysseus, the hero in the story, is trying to return home to Ithaca after his victory in Troy. On their way back home, Odysseus and his men hurt the cyclops, Polyphemus, and angered his father, Poseidon. With a god angry at them, Odysseus and his men had to overcome many obstacles. These obstacles led them to strange islands that had goddesses and dangerous creatures.

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