Essay on Odysseus Leadership Text

Jonathan Friesen - Writing Coach

length: 691 words 2 double spaced pages odysseus defines a hero in the odyssey how do you define a hero? some may define a hero as someone with great courage and bravery to others a hero might be a strong warrior and leader who wins battles others may define a hero as one who uses his brain as much as his brawn to win. This is evident when he defies the god poseidon, telling him that he is unstoppable. Odysseus then gets back on his ship on starts to sail on poseidon's waters back to ithaca. When circeturned his crew into animals, he climbed straight up a mountain, risking his life just to save his crew.

He will do anything to get back to ithaca and see his wife and son, no matter how crazy it is. He even goes into the underworld to speak to a prophet about how to get back to ithaca. Being brave and courageous is all about being willing and able to go to the extremes to help or possibly save people or even a place in need. As well as having courage and bravery, odysseus is also a strong warrior and leader.

Living as king of ithaca, he leads his fleet of warriors across poseidon’s sea into a great battle against the trojans. It is here where odysseus and his fleet of warriors defeated the trojans because of his great leadership. Knowing that he cannot defeat the trojans from outside the immense walls, he comes up with a different plan. He makes a giant wooden horse trojan horse and has a person present it as a gift to accept a peace with them. The trojans accept the gift and open the walls for the horse, not knowing that inside the horse was odysseus and a small fleet of soldiers. As the trojans finally went to sleep, odysseus and his fleet crept out of the horse and completely slaughtered the trojans in a very bloody battle.

Ithaca was victorious and the soldiers could now return back home happy, all because of the great leadership of odysseus. Odysseus and his soldiers were mighty warriors and did have the strength to defeat the trojans, but odysseus used something that was more powerful than his strength intelligence. Intelligence is the one thing that odysseus has the most of and also the reason why he not only defeated the trojans, but also survived the great journey he went through to get back to ithaca.

This being because he uses his reason and his gift of intelligence to evaluate what the situation is. It has saved him and his men many times, and can be easily seen in numerous instances throughout his journey, not only when he makes the wooden horse, but times such as when he disguises himself as a beggar when he finally reached ithaca. Many people in his situation would’ve been too anxious to wait and would immediately show who he was, risking a chance of being killed. Like many heroes, odysseus does have weaknesses such as his chronic cheating problem and his problem with pride. His courage, bravery, wits, and endurance enable him to come through each and every challenge and eventually arrive home safely.

21 feb 2016 odysseus: a leader of past and a pioneer of the present era odyssey, the leading character of the odyssey is quite complex, fascinating and inspiring. However, there exists some uncertainties in his character which, at times, take the form of contradictions in the character of a great leader, overshadowing his true potential. Throughout the odyssey, the lead character, odysseus, has been presented as an ideal leader who treats his men well and deals efficiently with problems that are presented before him. Ldquo a true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others, rdquo said douglas macarthur. In the odyssey by homer, odysseus shows these traits and many more during his journey home to ithaca after fighting in the trojan war. Odysseus must brave monsters, cyclopes, giants and more, but he is devoted to returning home to his wife and son. Though only odysseus makes it home in the end, he is able to give hope to his crew that they will all return to ithaca.

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Many key choices are made during the trip, and odysseus proves he can make the right ones. Odysseus is truly committed towards making it home to ithaca, and does whatever he must do to make it home. According to jon gordon, author of the difference between good and great leadership, ldquo great leaders inspire people to believe in themselves. Rdquo even after one, five, and ten years of being at sea, odysseus keeps his crew optimistic and makes them truly believe all of them will be able to see their home of ithaca once again.

Most people, after seeing their comrades being eaten by cyclopes, giants, and a six headed monster, would give up hope and believe their journey was impossible. However, odysseus shows true leadership by looking past these setbacks and inspiring his men to keep sailing towards ithaca. In the story, ldquo scylla and charybdis, rdquo six of odysseus rsquo men are plucked off their ship and eaten by the monster, scylla. The men are horrified and are frozen in place, but odysseus encourages them to keep rowing. Only because of odysseus rsquo leadership, the men got out of the strait of scylla and charybdis. When odysseus is talking to telemachus in eumaeus rsquo hut, telemachus is doubtful they can overthrow all of the suitors and is unconvinced the gods will help.

Telemachus is still dubious, but odysseus rsquo ingenious plan and his confidence inspire telemachus to believe what was thought to be impossible was well within their reach, showing what a great leader odysseus is. According to larina kase, author of great leaders are great decision makers, ldquo excellent leaders often say that they go with their gut to make decisions. They are able to trust themselves and their expertise and not get stuck in the cycle of over thinking. Rdquo odysseus makes many on the spot decisions that are essential for his journey home to ithaca. On the island of the cyclops, polyphemus, odysseus gets stuck in the cyclops rsquo cave.

Any normal man would have given up as soon as he saw the cyclops eating his men two at a time, but odysseus does not. Odysseus first wounds polyphemus in the eye, which leads to polyphemus yelling for help. However, odysseus tells the cyclops his name is ldquo nohbdy, rdquo so the other cyclopes only hear nothing is wrong. Then, while the blinded polyphemus is sitting by the wide open cave entrance, odysseus ties his men under three sheep each. Polyphemus does not notice the men are coming with the sheep out of the cave, and lets them go.

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