Odysseus Leadership Qualities

To describe a good leader takes more than a few words. To truly describe what a good leader is, it takes understanding and empathy, and the ability to imagine becoming dependent on someone else’s orders to stay alive. It takes a lot to be a good leader, and thought the term is seemingly vague, much is implied in those two simple words. The person must be strong and smart, but also humble and good at listening. They should be brave, but not so brave as to be blinded by their pride and make foolish decisions based on curiosity. When discussing Homer’s ancient epic poem, The Odyssey, the question of whether or not the story’s protagonist, Odysseus, fits into this category may weigh on the minds of readers. While Odysseus does have some good qualities,

A good leader is one who can motivate his companions to follow directions in a number of different ways. While Odysseus believed in his men and made an effort to protect them, he lacked the ability to encourage them to follow his orders without question. He lacks the basic communication skills that would aid him in leading his men. A prime example of this is when Odysseus receives a bag of wind from Aeolus. He instructs the men not to open it, but fails to tell them why. “I’ll tell you when we reach Ithica, not before” (The Odyssey, 1997). Here, Odysseus taunts his crew by holding the bag before their faces and hiding the contents within from them, seemingly for no rational reason. Consequently, the crew members chose to see for themselves, assuming the bag is simply full of gold or silver. They are then set back from their destination. It wouldn’t have taken much from Odysseus to explain the situation to his crew, but instead he chose to leave them ignorant and put them all in danger. Another time that this happened was in Book 12, when Scylla made her strike against his ship. Odysseus chooses not to tell his men of the danger that the sea monster brings, fearing that it will cause a panic among the men. “As I sent them towards Scylla, I told them nothing, as they could do nothing” (Homer, Book 12). Some would say this was a wise decision, however, communication with the crew may have assisted in a faster escape, making it possible for more men to survive. Being caught off guard likely didn’t help with the getaway. The men had a right to know regardless of Odysseus’ opinion on the matter, and since he did not provide them the information, it makes him a poor