Odysseus As A Great Leader In The Odyssey

A real leader has to have the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to others. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus shows these traits during his journey home to Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War. Odysseus must fight monsters, Cyclopes and more, but he is determined to return home to his wife and son. Although Odysseus is the only one who makes it home, he is able to give hope to his crew that they will all make it to Ithaca. Many major choices are made during the trip, and Odysseus proves he can make the right ones. Odysseus is committed to making it home and does whatever he must do to make. These characteristics prove Odysseus is a great leader.

Great leaders inspire people to believe

Great leaders often say that they go with their gut instinct. They are able to trust themselves and not get stuck over-thinking. Odysseus makes many quick decisions that are needed for his journey home to Ithaca. On the island of the Cyclops and Polyphemus, Odysseus gets stuck in the Cyclops’ cave. Any normal man would have given up as soon as he saw the Cyclops eating his men, but Odysseus does not. He comes up with a smart plan to escape the cave. Odysseus first hurts Polyphemus in the eye, which leads to Polyphemus yelling for help. However, Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is “Nohbdy,” so the other Cyclopes hear nothing is wrong. While the blinded Polyphemus is sitting by the wide-open cave entrance, Odysseus ties his men under three sheep. Polyphemus does not notice the men are coming with the sheep out of the cave and lets them go. Only a true leader could listen to their gut and make a plan as quickly as Odysseus did. Back in Ithaca, Odysseus remains a quick thinker. Odysseus must overthrow 108 suitors in order to reclaim his home, but he must not reveal his identity or else the suitors will kill his son and himself. So, Odysseus creates another plan. He will enter his home dressed as a beggar so neither the suitors nor his wife will recognize him. Telemachus is told to go home, but not to tell anyone that Odysseus has returned. Telemachus was told to put all the suitors’ weapons in a

Commitment is displayed by how you work to improve your abilities or what you do for your workers. Odysseus makes a lot of sacrifices for his crew. In the story, “The Land of the Dead,” Odysseus makes a trip to Hades to speak with the blind prophet, Tiresias. Hades is looked as a frightening place that no man should go. Odysseus, on the other hand, takes his entire crew into Hades without a second thought. Another example of Odysseus’ commitment is in the story of the “Sirens.” The Sirens are creatures who lure sailors to their island with sweet singing to eat them. Odysseus knows this, but still chooses to hear their song. Odysseus has his men tie him to the mast of the ship and make sure he cannot try to escape towards the Sirens. Any man who allows his crew to tie him up on a wooden pole of a ship must be dedicated. In Ithaca, though Odysseus has not seen his beloved wife for twenty years, he cannot reveal his identity. Instead, he must disguise himself as a beggar in order to make sure the suitors will not kill his son and him. This shows Odysseus’ dedication to keep following his plans and to be a good leader for Telemachus. Odysseus then passes his wife’s tests and kills all the suitors. Once he and Telemachus are safe, Odysseus can finally reveal himself to his wife. This shows the personal sacrifice Odysseus makes, proving he is a great