In the words of Warren Bennis, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” With this in mind, one would be deemed ignorant in stating that Beowulf does not epitomize every standard of leadership upheld by today’s society. In the epic translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf goes to considerable lengths to destroy every threat to his people no matter the expense. Therefore, Beowulf’s characteristics—selflessness and courage—make him a prominent leader in the eyes of today’s individuals. In order to be a well-respected leader, on must possess a selfless disposition. For instance, as soon as Beowulf hears of the injustice that Grendel is causing to Hrothgar’s people, he does not hesitate to take action. When speaking with Hrothgar,