Does odysseus show good qualities of leadership by not tell his men about scylla?
January 9, 2010 by Leadership Development & Management Tips
Filed under More Leadership Development Answers
Can you answer Mcl0ViN!’s question about Leadership Development?:
In the odyssey Odysseus refuses to tell his men about the fact that they are going to battle scylla after charybdis. Do you think that keeping this inofrmation to himself was a good idea, and did it show good leadership qualities?
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In the odyssey Odysseus refuses to tell his men about the fact that they are going to battle scylla after charybdis. Do you think that keeping this inofrmation to himself was a good idea, and did it show good leadership qualities?
Innovation Process Management
Leadership Development Feedback: The only way for his journey to continue is through the path in which scylla lies. If he were to tell his men then they would advice him not to go that way, however Odysseus goes that way to save the rest of his crew at the expence of 6 men, one for each of scylla’s six heads.
Leadership Development Feedback: Yes, he is showing good leadership qualities. The crew signed on to follow Odysseus, to trust in his leadership, and obey him. Odysseus, as Captain, and King, does not have to advise his crew of every little detail, and it is his right as to what Information he chooses to share with his crew.
Also, Odysseus’ knowledge of Charybdis, and Scylla, was imparted, by Circe, as a Prophecy, and Prophecies were very personal in Ancient Greece, and not given to any other to know.
Leadership often means having to make tough decisions on behalf of others, and Odysseus never baulked at his responsibilities as a leader of Men.