True leadership requires the courage to stand alone, the fortitude to implore tough decisions, and the kindness to empathize with others. Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s Odyssey, the father of Telemachus, and the husband of Penelope, demonstrates how courageous, fearless, and effective a leader he is. Throughout the book’s early chapters, he demonstrates many leadership qualities, overcoming many obstacles to reach his potential goal of returning to Ithaca, his homeland country. In leading his crew back to Ithaca, he demonstrates the determination that distinguishes him as a leader. Odysseus risks, especially when passing through sirens without beeswax, as advised by the island goddess Calypso. However, Odysseus is a man among the people, and although he is not perfect, he can still prove that he is a great leader.
Odysseus, first and foremost, displays his character as a critical thinker. He thinks before acting, as shown in Volume 9 when he and his crew were captured by Cyclopes Polyphemus and had to take revenge before facing the consequences. He thought of hurting the Cyclopes with a sword, but if he did, their chances of escaping were slim. “And now I pondered how to inflict the most harm on him if only Athena granted what I prayed for” (9, 343-344). He intended to intoxicate Polyphemus and then blind him with fire. The next morning, they sneaked out of his nest while sleeping under the sheep’s stomach. This example shows that Odysseus is well aware of the difficult challenges he faced on his way back to Ithaca.
On a trip to Ithaca, the crew was stopped by a group of Sirens. Sirens are dangerous females who bate a man with a beautiful voice to death. Before they arrived, Calypso advised Odysseus to cover their ears with beeswax for their voice. He made himself to be mast on the ship by his crew to experience a beautiful voice. His crew is always there for him, even if he tried to resist. “They tied me up, then went back to the mast, lashed to the mast, and took themselves rowing again” (12, 214-216). This is so intriguing because Odysseus is the only human who survived the Sirens’ voices and can recount the story. When the Sirens sang, they were not singing to make Odysseus feel anything but rather to make Odysseus feel something. “Come this way, honored Odysseus, great glory of the Achaeans, and stay your ship so that you can hear our singing here. For no one else has ever sailed past this spot in his black ship until he has heard the honey-sweet voice that comes from our lips” (12, 184-196). He and his crew were successful and did it without losing anyone. Odysseus needs to believe that his crew will not pull him off the mast of the boat with a siren. Odysseus tries to get out, but the crew only tightens him. The results show that Odysseus’ crew is confident enough to handle even the most difficult tasks.
Finally, Homer’s memo emphasizes how great a leader Odysseus is in the book. He demonstrates taking risks, achieving a goal, and demonstrating what a true leader is. He demonstrates the qualities of a leader, as well as how successful leaders will demonstrate unsuccessful leaders. Not every leader in the world has Odysseus’ versatility, which distinguishes him and sets him apart. During the journey, Odysseus has to make many important decisions, and he proves that he can make the right ones. Odysseus is determined to return home and will go to any length to do so. Odysseus is therefore a great leader because of these characteristics.
Work Cited
Homer. The Odyssey. Xist Publishing, 2015.