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Odysseus Complexities Of Leadership In Homer's Odyssey

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"Nelson Mandela, a globally renowned leader, once said, "It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership." This sentiment aptly captures the nuances of leadership as demonstrated in Homer's classic epic, The Odyssey. The protagonist, Odysseus, a revered king and war hero, embodies a spectrum of leadership qualities – both positive and negative – throughout his adventurous voyage.

Odysseus displays the quality of strategic thinking, a trait crucial to effective leadership. One situation where this comes into play is during their encounter with the Cyclops, Polyphemus. At this point in the epic, Odysseus and his men find themselves trapped in the Cyclops' cave, facing imminent danger. In order to devise an escape plan, …show more content…

One trait that demonstrates the complexity of his character is his occasional disregard for the well-being of his crew. This can be observed when he decides to listen to the enchanting song of the Sirens, despite knowing the danger it poses. Odysseus is fully aware that the Sirens' song can lure men to their demise, yet he chooses to experience it firsthand. As evidence, Homer writes, "But come, with tying me up, none of you / can drive me onto the broad back of the ship / against my will. Release me! Let me go!" (Homer 12.177-179).In this context, Odysseus displays a defiance of his crew's warnings and endangers their lives by succumbing to his personal desires. Although he may possess admirable leadership qualities, such as strategic thinking and determination, this counter-trait highlights a flaw in his decision-making process. His disregard for the safety and well-being of his crew members suggests that his leadership is not always guided by the best interests of those he

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734 Words | 3 Pages

This text shows that Odysseus can be humble and accept that he needs to listen to survive and he alone can not keep his whole crew alive. Odysseus tends to use his own wit and skills to survive not needing others help, but sometimes he does need to take others advice to

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In the novel The Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus is portrayed as a bad leader because of his selfish decisions and bad character. Odysseus makes a selfish decision when he leads his crew to stay in Polyphemus’s cave thinking he would offer gifts and Odysseus would “accept (his) help, or any gifts/” he had to “give” (9.726-727). This is a selfish act because he is putting his crew in danger for something that would only benefit himself. In the end, many of his people died and no one benefited. Once again, Odysseus displayed selfish acts when Circe told him “ he will be the only survivor of their long journey” (Homer 764).

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765 Words | 4 Pages

Odysseus in the book The Odyssey by Homer is a bad leader due to the lack of attentiveness he shows towards his teammates in many different ways. For example, Odysseus’s goal was to get him and all of his teammates home but by the time he got home all of his teammates had died. Odysseus also failed to communicate with his teammates many times. As well as the fact that Odysseus was also very easy to convince and that led to a lot of lost time in their journey.

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769 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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552 Words | 3 Pages

Both Odysseus from The Odyssey and Dally from The Outsiders demonstrate outstanding leadership. In particular, Odysseus helped his crew escape from the Cyclops: Polyphemus by strongly convincing them to follow his lead and plan. ‘’Have courage. A solution will present itself. Haven't I gotten us out of tougher scrapes than this one?’’

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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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1506 Words | 7 Pages

A successful leader, according to Homer, must be able to make wise choices and lead their men to victory. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates his cunning in a variety of ways, each time giving more and more proof of his intelligence. He is well-known for being one of the most cunning epic heroes ever in Greek mythology. The epic scene when Odysseus introduces himself as Noman to attack Polyphemus, "Cyclops … you wish to know the name I bear. I will tell you then, but in return I should like to have the gift you promised me.

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612 Words | 3 Pages

Some things that characterize successful male leadership in The Odyssey are determination and good relationships. Odysseus demonstrates his determination when his men release the winds when Ithaca was in sight on his journey home. “They screamed and I woke up, / and wondered if I should jump off the ship / and drown , or bite my lip, be stoical, / and stay among the living. I endured it, / covered my face, and lay on the deck.”

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665 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus had been instructed by Circes to travel past the Sirens which is a very dangerous task. Odysseus did not back down and showed bravery and leadership when he fearlessly said “We must avoid the voices of the otherworldly sirens” and directed his crew to keep him “upright at the mast, wound round with rope” in order for them to safely pass (Homer, 306). On the other hand, Odysseus showed selfishness toward his crew, burdening them with too much work than they could handle. Odysseus' crew told him “You are unfair to us, Odysseus. You may be strong; you never seem to tire; you must be made of iron.

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508 Words | 3 Pages

A great leader views the world like he is looking through 3D glasses, always seeing the depth and vibrancy of the possibilities around him. A bad leader is like a cyclops wearing an eyepatch, never able to see his mighty hand in front of his own face. In The Odyssey, Homer illustrates the journey home to Ithaca taken by Odysseus and his men. Unfortunately, Odysseus makes poor choices throughout his travels and his actions often do more harm than good. Two character traits define Odysseus and shape his poor leadership style.

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811 Words | 4 Pages

In the Odyssey by Homer, one heroic trait that Odysseus shows his preeminence which articulates the Greek cultural value of leading your men to victory. For example, the theme is made apparent when Odysseus visualizes “Bow to stem, trying to put heart into them, standing over every oarsmen, gently” (782, book 12). This shows that Odysseus knows his men can overcome the fear of dying and can save themselves. This is important because Odysseus’ trait is guidance and he strongly portrays that.

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Homer delivers very universal themes, such as loyalty is respected, but the epic also provides meaningful themes that are not as recognizable. The Odyssey is very focused on leadership and courage, as it centers on a hero's journey. There are many parts in the epic where Homer explains the actions of an admirable leader. In the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies the true meaning of being a leader through courage in the face of danger, which is shown by Circe, the Sirens, and the suitors. One might wonder why it takes Odysseus ten years to return to his homeland after he has achieved victory for Ithaca in the Trojan War.

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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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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.

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