As I mentioned earlier, a leader or leadership can be defined in many different terms of language. There have been many studies that have been conducted to determine the meaning of both of the terms. Even though leaders are needed throughout the world, it is hard to find the right person for the job (Nanis & Berns pg 5). Odysseus was chosen because of his rank as a great warrior in the Greek days. He was born to be a leader and a great warrior. The traits of his father Laertes, have been passed down to him; and the gods see that he will be a leader one day. A leader sets the occasion or provides a stimulus for the evocation of the follower behavior (spears pg 31). Odysseus gained his leadership because he knows how to sweet talk people and twist up a situation so that he may have what he wants in life. He was a very slick and shifty man that could con his way out of almost any thing. Leaders sometimes have the tendency to move out of the structure of things. All because of the excitement or the rule they may have over other people's lives. This is one reason why Odysseus could not save the lives of his men in their time of need. Because he thought that they should know what to except out of situations that came before them in life. One can also see Odysseus irresponsibility when dealing with his son, Telemachos. He did not really have anyone to look up to and teach him how to become a great leader.
Odysseus, a man of much being, has been given the gift of leadership, but can it be said that he has proven himself to be a leader? After the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men must travel a long journey back to Ithaka. During their travel, they run into much hardship. Odysseus being the leader of these men in obligated to insure their safety to return home. Odysseus, still not really understanding what it means to be a leader puts the lives of his crew in danger. One example of this endngerment is when Odysseus and his crew encounter the Louts-Eaters.