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What makes Odysseus a good leader?

Odysseus is a good leader because he is clever, brave, and he cares about the men whom he leads.  When his men are trapped in Polyphemus's cave, Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is "Nobody"; that night, he gets the monster really drunk and then the crew blinds the monster when he's passed out.  Then, when the other Cyclopes rush to his aid, he calls to them that Nobody is hurting him.  So they leave!  It is a good plan, and Odysseus is very cunning in his execution of it.


Further, Odysseus bravely goes to the Underworld to find the prophet, Teiresias, who can tell him and his crew how to get home.  Despite his own terror, he is successful here.  He also leads his crew past the Sirens, bravely leaving his ears unstopped so that he can hear their songs.  He even sails past Scylla, knowing that he could be one of the six men the monster eats.  If more of his men would have ultimately listened to his leadership (especially at Thrinacia), it seems likely that some of them might have actually made it home.


Finally, Odysseus really cares about the men he leads.  At the land of the lotus-eaters, three of his men eat the lotus and no longer wish to return home.  He physically drags each one back to the ship because he knows that, in their hearts, they still want to return to their families.  Then, after Elpenor dies at Circe's house, his spirit asks Odysseus to return and dispose of his body correctly, which Odysseus does out of respect for his crew member.  Odysseus doesn't seem to look on his men as just a crew to be managed but as individuals who matter and deserve the best he can give them.

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