Odysseus Is A Good Leader

Many people recognize Odysseus as strong, heroic leader worthy of adoration, but is he really all that he is cracked up to be? Over the course of his journey home, he displays some overwhelming negative characteristics. Odysseus is not an admirable character because he is a poor leader, he displays hubris that puts his men in harm’s way, and he is unreliable.
Odysseus is undeserving of adoration because he is a poor leader. This is evident as he sets his men free in Ismarus to do as they please. His failure to keep them in line leads to a battle that takes the lives of a number of Achaeans, enough to leave six benches empty on each of his ships. Another example of his pitiful leadership is his decision to bring his twelve best men into the home of Polyphemus despite their objections. Odysseus’ desire to speak to the cyclops puts his men in unnecessary harm’s way and, as a result, costs six of the men their lives. Also, on multiple occasions where he chooses to send unsupervised men to explore unfamiliar places, such as Aeaea and the home of the Lotus Eaters,
While it may be understandable to expect excessive pride from someone in a position of power, such as a leader of soldiers, this arrogance is an aspect of Odysseus that tends to make an appearance at the worst of times. One example of a time his boastfulness gets the better of him is the moment he made the foolish decision decision to reveal his true name and homeland to the cyclops Polyphemus. After this occurs, the god Poseidon shows his anger to the Achaeans which proved to be an additional danger to Odysseus and his men. In addition, Odysseus seriously underestimates the mortality of himself and his men when faced with adversaries that were not completely human. He challenges gods, convinced that he can defeat them with full impunity from negative consequences, which is obviously a false assumption. As a result of this, a number of his men are