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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.
Pericles the powerful, was the best leader of Athens. He was a mighty general, a brilliant orator, a good politician, and he was a patron of the arts. Under his great leadership came Athens golden age. Pericles is often credited for transforming the allied city-states into the Athenian empire, which there is some truth to. His military conquests include a successful military campaign in 454, which created many Athenian colonies in Thrace, and on the Black Sea coast.
Webster Dictionary defines leadership as simply, “providing direction or guidance,” but to be a successful leader one must focus on completing a goal in a way that is beneficial for the majority, not only the one in charge. This can be achieved by utilitarianism, which is doing of what is best for the most number of people, and carrying out actions that lead to positive effects, instead of merely being done with good intentions. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is not an exemplary leader because he went against utilitarianism by not being honest with his men, letting his arrogance control his behavior, and by killing many people in his house without a fair trial. Firstly, a leader must be truthful with those he works with in order for no errors or confusion to occur as a result of information being hidden. In The Odyssey, not being truthful lead to negative consequences for everyone on Odysseus’ ship, and thus contradicted the principle of utilitarianism stating that actions must lead to positive effects.
The Odyssey There is a big difference between leader and great leader. To be a leader you just have to tell people what to do. To be a great leader, you have to tell them what to do, do something, help them, and do everything you can to save them. Which is exactly what Odysseus did in The Odyssey. He did everything he could to keep his men alive, but it was their own fault that they died.
A leader always has strength, but it is what the leader does with the strength that makes him or her great. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus leads his men home after the Trojan War and during his journey, many conflicts occur. Odysseus is a good leader because he is motivated and has strong communication skills that help him to control his men, but also convince the crew to keep going so they may reach home. Odysseus’ motivation to return home is evident throughout many circumstances. Odysseus explains to Calypso one of the reasons why he must return home: “Yet, it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home”
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.
Being one of the reasons someone believes in the goodness of people is quite an extraordinary achievement one that, according to Plutarch, Agis fully accomplished. He, from the beginning, asks the question of what a good man looks like. Stated quite early in the book, Plutarch says that “The man, indeed, whose goodness is complete and perfect will have no need at all of glory.” Agis got his glory, obvious in the writing of this book, but he still didn’t have a burning desire of it. Plutarch applies his own logic and belief to this fact simply by writing that with the right nurturing and care a great man can prevail who knows that all that is glorious may not be good.
In any country, kingdom, or household there is usually the one that seems to overrule all in that specified area. Leaders are strong, courageous, and skilled in combat and wits. Leaders are either looked at as an ally or an enemy. They are confident, bold, and respected. In the poem, The Odyssey, Homer gives us insight of how a tough, cunning, and wise man is brought through twenty years of suffering to reach is home that he weeps for so much.
However, in the end Agamemnon took Achilles’ girl, Briseis, which really hurt Achilles in the end. These warriors took a lot of pride in the things or people that they
They fight over the two girls. Later Achilles threatens to quit the war since he has nothing against the Trojans. He says that he only fights because Agemenom tells him too. King Agamemnon answered: Indeed, sir all that you say is fair and right. But this man wishes to be above all to rule everyone, to be King over everyone to order everyone-
Leadership Thought Prior to 1900 The earliest study of leadership thought would be the “Great Man Theory. This theory conceptualized leaders as a single “Great Man” who knew everything and influenced others to follow him. In leadership discourse, the Great Man theory—an assertion that certain individuals, certain men, are gifts from God placed on earth to provide the lightening needed to uplift human existence—is associated mainly with Thomas Carlyle (Spector, 2015, p.250). The focal-point of this theory is that leaders’ skills are inherent and set that them apart from those around them and that these traits enable them to assume roles of power and authority.
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.
Throughout the story “The Odyssey” by Homer Odysseus, the main character counters countless amounts of trouble. As king and leader it is his job to keep his men save and get the job done. Odysseus does whatever it takes to keep his men unharmed, and more importantly, alive. All his crew and him dream about is getting back to their homeland, but first they have to pass the obstacles. Odysseus demonstrates good leadership qualities by doing whatever it takes to get the job done, using his advanced cunning abilities to trick his enemy, and constantly saving his crew from dangers.
Akhilleus possessed these qualities, while the antagonist, Agamemnon, was lacking the field of leadership and of being a warrior. The author did this so that the Greeks would imitate Akhilleus who was a strong, clever warrior and not Agamemnon who was inferior to Akhilleus in many ways. Akhilleus did not become strong through suffering and hard work, but instead, he was born with it because her mother was a goddess. He had everything he needed, power, fame, and a high position in the Akhaian Army. The Iliad’s conflict was the war between the Akhaians and the Trojans, while the secondary conflict was between Akhilleus and Agamemnon.
He remained headstrong, stubborn and selfish in his actions, even warranting rebuke from the men on certain occasions. This is seen in the very first conflict that is witnessed on the pages of The Iliad. Agamemnon is faced with the request to give up his war prize, and immediately and indignantly decides against all the council of the army in order to keep his prize of a woman (28). With this decision, he sought his own desires selfishly and disconnected himself from the men he was meant to lead. Granted, he possessed a strong will, a thing very necessary for good leadership.