Leadership Skills Of Odysseus 'Approach To Helius' Island

Odysseus displayed strong leadership skills in his approach to Helius' island, as evidenced by his strategic planning, and effective communication with his crew. Throughout their approach to the island, Odysseus is able to concisely explain to his crew the dangers of Helius island, and formulate a good plan on what to do if they do decide to stay on the island. During the previous chapter, Odysseus is told by both Tiresias in the underworld, and Circe right before their departure that they would come upon the island of the Sun God. Helius island is an island that harbors a specific type of animal, incredibly special cattle graze there and those cattle are the main source of danger for Odysseus and his men. As said by Tiresias “If you leave

This single quote, which is later reworded by Circe, is the main factor behind why Odysseus acts as he does during their approach to the island. He knows of the potential danger that lies ahead and how to avoid it. “My friends, I know how much you have endured. But listen to me now. Tiresias and Circe both insisted we must avoid the island of the sun, the joy of mortals. They said dreadful danger lurks there for us. We has to steer our ship around it” (271-277). In this quote Odysseus’s intentions are clear, he is trying to explain to his men why it is that they must not stop on Helius island. Here Odysseus uses his skills of careful and effective communication to attempt to achieve this goal. He shows empathy for his troops with his first line, “My friends, I know how much you have endured”, a leader having the ability to acknowledge their people’s difficulties and hardships is an incredibly important trait that is seen often in good leaders. Odysseus also demonstrates effective strategic planning by heading the warnings he has received from Tiresias and Circe. Thus showing a level of care for his men that he has at times been

He does extremely well balancing these two leadership styles in order to create a leader who appeals well to his men. Later in the same scene, after an argumentative speech by Eurylochus arguing against their avoiding the island, Odysseus is once again able to exhibit the traits of a good leader when under pressure from his troops. “Eurylochus! You force me to yield, since I am one and you are many. But all of you, swear me a mighty oath: if we find any heard of cows, or flock of sheep, do not be fool enough to kill a single animal. Stay clear, and eat the food provided by imortal Circe.”(298-304). Here Odysseus stays determined to keep his men’s best interests at the forefront of his decision-making. He realizes the plight of his men and sides with them showing his compassionate side, however, he makes them swear an oath that he knows will guarantee their safety. The language here shows the balance from before again, he does well to be a caring and compassionate leader while also leading with decisiveness. He addresses the individual needs of Eurylochus also acknowledges how those needs are shared among the rest of the crew and finds a concise solution to conflict of