{"content_id":"l9xzvwtesv","slug":"odysseus-leadership-failure-and-responsibility","locale":"en","schema_type":"Article","category":"knowledge_base","category_name":"Knowledge Base","title":"Why Odysseus Lost All His Men: Leadership, Failure, and Responsibility","summary":"Odysseus achieved his personal goal of returning to Ithaca, but he lost every companion who set out with him. His voyage demonstrates the value of making decisions amid uncertainty while also serving as a leadership case that warns against arrogance, withholding information, and the collapse of trust.","sponsorship_disclosure":null,"author":{"name":"Injoys Editorial Team","url":"https://injoys.com/ko/about"},"key_points":["Odysseus's return was a success in terms of his personal goal, but a devastating failure in terms of the collective goal of keeping his fleet and companions alive.","The losses cannot be explained solely by his companions' disobedience and supernatural intervention; Odysseus's curiosity, desire to show off, and withholding of information also increased the toll.","Decisions should be evaluated not only by their outcomes but also by the information and alternatives available at the time, foreseeability, and efforts to mitigate harm.","A great purpose and perseverance may be necessary conditions for leadership, but they are not a license to treat members as expendable means.","The way Odysseus came to be remembered as a hero also reflects a narrative bias favoring the protagonist, who was both the survivor and the storyteller."],"content_markdown":"Christopher Nolan’s film \u003cThe Odyssey\u003e has brought Homer’s 『The Odyssey』 back to the center of popular attention. But when the original voyage is converted into an organizational scorecard, the results are difficult to explain as merely a heroic tale. Odysseus departed Troy with 12 ships, lost all his companions, and returned to Ithaca alone with the help of other people’s ships.\n\nThis fact does not immediately establish him as the “worst leader.” Conversely, he cannot be called a successful leader merely because he endured uncertainty and ultimately reached his destination. 『The Odyssey』 is useful to today’s leaders not because it provides a model answer, but because it presents a complex case in which performance, responsibility, luck, authority, and trust collide.\n\n## The First Fact to Check: Did Every Member Really Die?\n\nIn 『The Odyssey』, all the companions who sailed with Odysseus die before returning home. The opening of the work also summarizes that although he tried to save his companions, he ultimately failed to do so. However, not every death resulted from a single decision or the same cause.\n\n| Event | Major Losses and Outcomes | Leadership Issue |\n|---|---|---|\n| Battle with the Cicones | 6 men from each ship, 72 in total, are said to have died | His companions did not obey the order to withdraw immediately after the plunder |\n| The Cyclops’ cave | Polyphemus devours 6 companions | Odysseus rejected his companions’ proposal to take only the spoils and leave |\n| After escaping Polyphemus | Odysseus shouts out his name, provoking Poseidon’s wrath | His desire to boast after a successful escape created long-term danger |\n| Aeolus’s bag of winds | His companions secretly open the bag, sending them adrift again just off Ithaca | It reveals not only disobedience but also distrust concerning rewards and information |\n| Attack by the Laestrygonians | 11 ships are destroyed, with only Odysseus’s ship surviving | Differences in anchoring location and reconnaissance methods determined who survived |\n| Circe’s island | Elpenor falls from a roof and dies | Discipline and safety management grew lax during the prolonged stay |\n| Scylla and Charybdis | Scylla snatches and kills 6 sailors | It was a choice of the lesser evil to avoid total destruction, but information about the danger was not adequately shared |\n| The cattle of Helios, the sun god | His companions slaughter and eat the forbidden cattle, and all die from Zeus’s thunderbolt | Hunger, violation of orders, failure of supplies, and supernatural punishment all played a role |\n\nTherefore, the claim that “Odysseus killed every one of his subordinates” is overly simplistic. A more accurate statement is: “Every companion on the return voyage under his command died, and the outcome resulted from a combination of his companions’ choices, the leader’s decisions, and intervention by nature and the gods.”\n\n## Are an Individual’s Return and an Organization’s Success the Same?\n\nTo evaluate a leader’s performance, the unit of success must first be defined.\n\n- **Personal objective:** Odysseus survived, returned to Ithaca, and reclaimed his throne and family.\n- **Mission objective:** He failed to bring the fleet and his companions home.\n- **Organizational preservation:** He lost all 12 ships and every companion.\n- **Time and resources:** After the Trojan War ended, the return journey took another 10 years.\n- **Ethical outcome:** Some companions died from unavoidable threats, but reckless exploration and ostentatious behavior contributed to some of the losses.\n\nThis distinction also applies to modern organizations. Even if a founder receives a large personal reward by selling a company, the project cannot be called a success for every stakeholder if employees and customers are left with severe harm. We must ask not only whether the objective was achieved, but whose objective it was and who bore the cost.\n\n## Assessments Favorable to Odysseus\n\nOdysseus’s leadership has genuine strengths. Denying them would mean overlooking the complexity of crisis response depicted in the work.\n\n### He Made Decisions Even Under Uncertainty\n\nAs in the escape from the Cyclops’ cave, he devised a workable plan under conditions of limited time and incomplete information. The process of intoxicating and blinding the monster, then escaping by tying themselves beneath the sheep, is an example of problem-solving that combined observation, deception, and resourcefulness.\n\n### He Never Lost Sight of His Destination\n\nDespite repeated temptation and frustration, Odysseus did not abandon his goal of returning to Ithaca. In a long-term project, persistence of purpose can give an organization the strength to endure short-term turmoil.\n\n### He Shared the Risks Himself\n\nHe was not someone who merely issued orders while remaining in a safe place. He personally participated in reconnaissance and combat and confronted Circe to save his companions. When those in charge share the risks, the legitimacy of their orders and the trust of their members can increase.\n\n### Not Every Failure Was Controllable\n\nStorms, monsters, and the hostility of the gods lay beyond human prediction and control. In modern terms, they correspond to external shocks that leaders cannot eliminate, such as sudden market shifts, war, disasters, and regulatory changes. The mere fact that the outcome was bad does not automatically make the decision made at the time a bad one.\n\n## Assessments Unfavorable to Odysseus\n\nIt is also dangerous to read him only as a responsible hero. The work repeatedly depicts losses that could have been avoided or reduced.\n\n### Curiosity and Vanity Turned into Organizational Risk\n\nIn the Cyclops’ cave, Odysseus’s companions propose taking the food and livestock and leaving quickly. Odysseus stays because he expects to meet the owner and receive a gift. After escaping, he reveals his name and taunts Polyphemus, provoking Poseidon’s retaliation.\n\nThis can be read as a case in which an individual’s desire for honor imposed the cost of risk on the entire organization. A leader’s boldness and vanity can look similar until the results appear, so a process for reviewing opposing views is necessary.\n\n### He Monopolized Even Necessary Information\n\nOdysseus is warned that Scylla will kill six men, but he does not tell the sailors about the specific danger. Even if this was intended to prevent them from dropping their oars in terror, the ethical problem remains that he withheld information from people who might be sacrificed.\n\nThere are cases in organizations where confidentiality is necessary. But the discomfort of disclosing information must be distinguished from an operational need to restrict it. Decisions that deprive members of the opportunity to understand and prepare for danger carry a greater obligation to explain.\n\n### Repeating Orders Could Not Replace Trust\n\nIn the episodes involving the bag of winds and the cattle of the sun god, his companions disobey orders. This could simply be viewed as a problem caused by incompetent and greedy subordinates. But it is also important that they were not told what was inside the bag and came to suspect that Odysseus was monopolizing the rewards.\n\nCompliance with orders is not guaranteed by title alone. When information gaps are wide and doubts about fairness accumulate, members trust rumors more than the leader’s explanations. Psychological safety does not mean only a comfortable atmosphere. It also includes an environment in which people can raise questions, report risks, and verify the basis for decisions.\n\n## How Should We Evaluate a Leader Who Chooses the Lesser Evil?\n\nThe choice between Scylla and Charybdis is a classic lesser-evil dilemma. On one side, some people are certain to die; on the other, everyone may die. Rather than evaluating such decisions simply by counting the outcome, they should be examined through the following questions.\n\n1. **Could the danger have been anticipated in advance?**\n2. **Was there a realistic alternative that would have caused less harm?**\n3. **Did the decision-maker prioritize collective survival over personal benefit?**\n4. **Was as much information as possible provided to the people affected?**\n5. **Were preparations made and resources allocated to reduce the harm?**\n6. **After the outcome, did the decision-maker acknowledge responsibility and review the decision-making process?**\n\nThe failure to save everyone is not in itself proof of incompetence. But “there was no other choice” cannot automatically be grounds for exemption from responsibility either. Sacrifices that were unavoidable must be distinguished from those caused by inadequate preparation.\n\n## Why Is a Failed Commander Remembered as a Hero?\n\n『The Odyssey』 is believed to have taken shape around the late 8th to early 7th century BCE. Thus, saying that it has been “remembered for 3,000 years” is a literary exaggeration, but it is certainly an ancient memory in the sense that the work has been transmitted for approximately 2,700 years or more.\n\nOdysseus remained a hero not merely because he was a successful manager.\n\n- He represents the fear and temptation that humans experience in an uncertain world.\n- He embodies a type of hero who solves problems through ingenuity rather than strength.\n- He carries the universal desires for homecoming, family, and the restoration of identity.\n- He is an imperfect figure with flaws and arrogance, leaving ample room for interpretation.\n- He has been continuously reproduced through ancient Greek oral tradition and through education, translation, performance, and publication.\n\nIn other words, the fact that he has long been remembered does not justify all his decisions. Cultural influence and ethical exemplarity are separate criteria for evaluation.\n\n## An Easily Overlooked Perspective: The Survivor Owns the Story\n\nSome of the central adventures in 『The Odyssey』 are presented as a retrospective account that Odysseus himself gives to the Phaeacians. His dead companions cannot speak about their own judgments, fears, or assessments of their leader. The opening of the work emphasizes the recklessness of the companions who ate the cattle of the sun god, but that does not explain every loss, including those involving the Cyclops and the Laestrygonians.\n\nThis structure resembles failure reports in modern organizations. When surviving executives or project managers write retrospectives, the following biases can emerge.\n\n- Successful judgments are explained as the leader’s ability, while failures are attributed to the environment or members’ disobedience.\n- Risks that could not have been known in advance become mixed together with warnings that were actually ignored.\n- The testimony of members who left or suffered harm is omitted from the record.\n- An individual’s survival or promotion is presented as the success of the entire organization.\n\nTherefore, a leader’s retrospective alone is insufficient to turn failure into learning material. Decision-making records, opposing opinions expressed at the time, testimony from frontline members, risk indicators, and outcomes for each stakeholder must all be preserved. This is the difference between a heroic narrative and organizational learning.\n\n## Lessons for Modern Leaders\n\nWhat should be learned from Odysseus is not unconditional decisiveness or the glorification of sacrifice.\n\n- **Agree on the scope of performance first.** Measure not only personal survival, revenue, and adherence to schedules, but also member safety and harm to customers.\n- **Review decisions separately from outcomes.** A good result does not justify a reckless decision, and a bad result does not immediately invalidate a reasonable one.\n- **Use dissent as a risk-detection mechanism.** Do not treat a colleague’s proposal to withdraw as weakness or a lack of loyalty.\n- **Set clear standards for restricting information.** Distinguish secrecy required for security from concealment intended to evade responsibility.\n- **Separate the leader’s desires from the organization’s purpose.** Examine whether honor, recognition, or a desire for revenge is increasing collective risk.\n- **Preserve multiple voices in records of failure.** Do not conclude a postmortem assessment with only the surviving person in charge’s account.\n\n## Conclusion: Is Taking the Helm Again Enough?\n\nOdysseus did not give up, did not avoid making decisions in the face of crisis, and ultimately reached his destination. At the same time, his curiosity and vanity created avoidable dangers, while his monopolization of information and lack of trust reduced his companions’ chances of survival.\n\nTrue responsibility begins with the willingness to take the helm even after failure, but it does not end there. Leaders must openly examine why the ships were wrecked, whose warnings were ignored, and whether another path could have reduced the sacrifices. The most important lesson Odysseus offers today’s leaders is not “keep going to the end,” but “ask whom you lost while reaching your destination and what responsibility you bear for those losses.”","content_html":"\u003cp\u003eChristopher Nolan’s film  has brought Homer’s 『The Odyssey』 back to the center of popular attention. But when the original voyage is converted into an organizational scorecard, the results are difficult to explain as merely a heroic tale. Odysseus departed Troy with 12 ships, lost all his companions, and returned to Ithaca alone with the help of other people’s ships.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis fact does not immediately establish him as the “worst leader.” Conversely, he cannot be called a successful leader merely because he endured uncertainty and ultimately reached his destination. 『The Odyssey』 is useful to today’s leaders not because it provides a model answer, but because it presents a complex case in which performance, responsibility, luck, authority, and trust collide.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#the-first-fact-to-check-did-every-member-really-die\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"the-first-fact-to-check-did-every-member-really-die\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThe First Fact to Check: Did Every Member Really Die?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 『The Odyssey』, all the companions who sailed with Odysseus die before returning home. The opening of the work also summarizes that although he tried to save his companions, he ultimately failed to do so. However, not every death resulted from a single decision or the same cause.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"overflow-x-auto\"\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eEvent\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMajor Losses and Outcomes\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eLeadership Issue\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Event\"\u003eBattle with the Cicones\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Major Losses and Outcomes\"\u003e6 men from each ship, 72 in total, are said to have died\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Leadership Issue\"\u003eHis companions did not obey the order to withdraw immediately after the plunder\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Event\"\u003eThe Cyclops’ cave\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Major Losses and Outcomes\"\u003ePolyphemus devours 6 companions\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Leadership Issue\"\u003eOdysseus rejected his companions’ proposal to take only the spoils and leave\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Event\"\u003eAfter escaping Polyphemus\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Major Losses and Outcomes\"\u003eOdysseus shouts out his name, provoking Poseidon’s wrath\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Leadership Issue\"\u003eHis desire to boast after a successful escape created long-term danger\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Event\"\u003eAeolus’s bag of winds\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Major Losses and Outcomes\"\u003eHis companions secretly open the bag, sending them adrift again just off Ithaca\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Leadership Issue\"\u003eIt reveals not only disobedience but also distrust concerning rewards and information\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Event\"\u003eAttack by the Laestrygonians\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Major Losses and Outcomes\"\u003e11 ships are destroyed, with only Odysseus’s ship surviving\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Leadership Issue\"\u003eDifferences in anchoring location and reconnaissance methods determined who survived\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Event\"\u003eCirce’s island\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Major Losses and Outcomes\"\u003eElpenor falls from a roof and dies\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Leadership Issue\"\u003eDiscipline and safety management grew lax during the prolonged stay\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Event\"\u003eScylla and Charybdis\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Major Losses and Outcomes\"\u003eScylla snatches and kills 6 sailors\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Leadership Issue\"\u003eIt was a choice of the lesser evil to avoid total destruction, but information about the danger was not adequately shared\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Event\"\u003eThe cattle of Helios, the sun god\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Major Losses and Outcomes\"\u003eHis companions slaughter and eat the forbidden cattle, and all die from Zeus’s thunderbolt\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-label=\"Leadership Issue\"\u003eHunger, violation of orders, failure of supplies, and supernatural punishment all played a role\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, the claim that “Odysseus killed every one of his subordinates” is overly simplistic. A more accurate statement is: “Every companion on the return voyage under his command died, and the outcome resulted from a combination of his companions’ choices, the leader’s decisions, and intervention by nature and the gods.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#are-an-individuals-return-and-an-organizations-success-the-same\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"are-an-individuals-return-and-an-organizations-success-the-same\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAre an Individual’s Return and an Organization’s Success the Same?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo evaluate a leader’s performance, the unit of success must first be defined.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePersonal objective:\u003c/strong\u003e Odysseus survived, returned to Ithaca, and reclaimed his throne and family.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMission objective:\u003c/strong\u003e He failed to bring the fleet and his companions home.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrganizational preservation:\u003c/strong\u003e He lost all 12 ships and every companion.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTime and resources:\u003c/strong\u003e After the Trojan War ended, the return journey took another 10 years.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthical outcome:\u003c/strong\u003e Some companions died from unavoidable threats, but reckless exploration and ostentatious behavior contributed to some of the losses.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis distinction also applies to modern organizations. Even if a founder receives a large personal reward by selling a company, the project cannot be called a success for every stakeholder if employees and customers are left with severe harm. We must ask not only whether the objective was achieved, but whose objective it was and who bore the cost.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#assessments-favorable-to-odysseus\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"assessments-favorable-to-odysseus\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAssessments Favorable to Odysseus\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOdysseus’s leadership has genuine strengths. Denying them would mean overlooking the complexity of crisis response depicted in the work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#he-made-decisions-even-under-uncertainty\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"he-made-decisions-even-under-uncertainty\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHe Made Decisions Even Under Uncertainty\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs in the escape from the Cyclops’ cave, he devised a workable plan under conditions of limited time and incomplete information. The process of intoxicating and blinding the monster, then escaping by tying themselves beneath the sheep, is an example of problem-solving that combined observation, deception, and resourcefulness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#he-never-lost-sight-of-his-destination\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"he-never-lost-sight-of-his-destination\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHe Never Lost Sight of His Destination\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite repeated temptation and frustration, Odysseus did not abandon his goal of returning to Ithaca. In a long-term project, persistence of purpose can give an organization the strength to endure short-term turmoil.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#he-shared-the-risks-himself\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"he-shared-the-risks-himself\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHe Shared the Risks Himself\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe was not someone who merely issued orders while remaining in a safe place. He personally participated in reconnaissance and combat and confronted Circe to save his companions. When those in charge share the risks, the legitimacy of their orders and the trust of their members can increase.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#not-every-failure-was-controllable\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"not-every-failure-was-controllable\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eNot Every Failure Was Controllable\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStorms, monsters, and the hostility of the gods lay beyond human prediction and control. In modern terms, they correspond to external shocks that leaders cannot eliminate, such as sudden market shifts, war, disasters, and regulatory changes. The mere fact that the outcome was bad does not automatically make the decision made at the time a bad one.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#assessments-unfavorable-to-odysseus\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"assessments-unfavorable-to-odysseus\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAssessments Unfavorable to Odysseus\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is also dangerous to read him only as a responsible hero. The work repeatedly depicts losses that could have been avoided or reduced.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#curiosity-and-vanity-turned-into-organizational-risk\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"curiosity-and-vanity-turned-into-organizational-risk\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eCuriosity and Vanity Turned into Organizational Risk\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Cyclops’ cave, Odysseus’s companions propose taking the food and livestock and leaving quickly. Odysseus stays because he expects to meet the owner and receive a gift. After escaping, he reveals his name and taunts Polyphemus, provoking Poseidon’s retaliation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis can be read as a case in which an individual’s desire for honor imposed the cost of risk on the entire organization. A leader’s boldness and vanity can look similar until the results appear, so a process for reviewing opposing views is necessary.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#he-monopolized-even-necessary-information\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"he-monopolized-even-necessary-information\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHe Monopolized Even Necessary Information\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOdysseus is warned that Scylla will kill six men, but he does not tell the sailors about the specific danger. Even if this was intended to prevent them from dropping their oars in terror, the ethical problem remains that he withheld information from people who might be sacrificed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are cases in organizations where confidentiality is necessary. But the discomfort of disclosing information must be distinguished from an operational need to restrict it. Decisions that deprive members of the opportunity to understand and prepare for danger carry a greater obligation to explain.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#repeating-orders-could-not-replace-trust\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"repeating-orders-could-not-replace-trust\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eRepeating Orders Could Not Replace Trust\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the episodes involving the bag of winds and the cattle of the sun god, his companions disobey orders. This could simply be viewed as a problem caused by incompetent and greedy subordinates. But it is also important that they were not told what was inside the bag and came to suspect that Odysseus was monopolizing the rewards.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompliance with orders is not guaranteed by title alone. When information gaps are wide and doubts about fairness accumulate, members trust rumors more than the leader’s explanations. Psychological safety does not mean only a comfortable atmosphere. It also includes an environment in which people can raise questions, report risks, and verify the basis for decisions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#how-should-we-evaluate-a-leader-who-chooses-the-lesser-evil\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"how-should-we-evaluate-a-leader-who-chooses-the-lesser-evil\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHow Should We Evaluate a Leader Who Chooses the Lesser Evil?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe choice between Scylla and Charybdis is a classic lesser-evil dilemma. On one side, some people are certain to die; on the other, everyone may die. Rather than evaluating such decisions simply by counting the outcome, they should be examined through the following questions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCould the danger have been anticipated in advance?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWas there a realistic alternative that would have caused less harm?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDid the decision-maker prioritize collective survival over personal benefit?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWas as much information as possible provided to the people affected?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWere preparations made and resources allocated to reduce the harm?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAfter the outcome, did the decision-maker acknowledge responsibility and review the decision-making process?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe failure to save everyone is not in itself proof of incompetence. But “there was no other choice” cannot automatically be grounds for exemption from responsibility either. Sacrifices that were unavoidable must be distinguished from those caused by inadequate preparation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#why-is-a-failed-commander-remembered-as-a-hero\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"why-is-a-failed-commander-remembered-as-a-hero\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhy Is a Failed Commander Remembered as a Hero?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e『The Odyssey』 is believed to have taken shape around the late 8th to early 7th century BCE. Thus, saying that it has been “remembered for 3,000 years” is a literary exaggeration, but it is certainly an ancient memory in the sense that the work has been transmitted for approximately 2,700 years or more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOdysseus remained a hero not merely because he was a successful manager.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe represents the fear and temptation that humans experience in an uncertain world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe embodies a type of hero who solves problems through ingenuity rather than strength.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe carries the universal desires for homecoming, family, and the restoration of identity.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe is an imperfect figure with flaws and arrogance, leaving ample room for interpretation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe has been continuously reproduced through ancient Greek oral tradition and through education, translation, performance, and publication.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn other words, the fact that he has long been remembered does not justify all his decisions. Cultural influence and ethical exemplarity are separate criteria for evaluation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#an-easily-overlooked-perspective-the-survivor-owns-the-story\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"an-easily-overlooked-perspective-the-survivor-owns-the-story\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAn Easily Overlooked Perspective: The Survivor Owns the Story\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome of the central adventures in 『The Odyssey』 are presented as a retrospective account that Odysseus himself gives to the Phaeacians. His dead companions cannot speak about their own judgments, fears, or assessments of their leader. The opening of the work emphasizes the recklessness of the companions who ate the cattle of the sun god, but that does not explain every loss, including those involving the Cyclops and the Laestrygonians.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis structure resembles failure reports in modern organizations. When surviving executives or project managers write retrospectives, the following biases can emerge.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSuccessful judgments are explained as the leader’s ability, while failures are attributed to the environment or members’ disobedience.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRisks that could not have been known in advance become mixed together with warnings that were actually ignored.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe testimony of members who left or suffered harm is omitted from the record.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn individual’s survival or promotion is presented as the success of the entire organization.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, a leader’s retrospective alone is insufficient to turn failure into learning material. Decision-making records, opposing opinions expressed at the time, testimony from frontline members, risk indicators, and outcomes for each stakeholder must all be preserved. This is the difference between a heroic narrative and organizational learning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#lessons-for-modern-leaders\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"lessons-for-modern-leaders\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eLessons for Modern Leaders\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat should be learned from Odysseus is not unconditional decisiveness or the glorification of sacrifice.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAgree on the scope of performance first.\u003c/strong\u003e Measure not only personal survival, revenue, and adherence to schedules, but also member safety and harm to customers.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview decisions separately from outcomes.\u003c/strong\u003e A good result does not justify a reckless decision, and a bad result does not immediately invalidate a reasonable one.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUse dissent as a risk-detection mechanism.\u003c/strong\u003e Do not treat a colleague’s proposal to withdraw as weakness or a lack of loyalty.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSet clear standards for restricting information.\u003c/strong\u003e Distinguish secrecy required for security from concealment intended to evade responsibility.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeparate the leader’s desires from the organization’s purpose.\u003c/strong\u003e Examine whether honor, recognition, or a desire for revenge is increasing collective risk.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePreserve multiple voices in records of failure.\u003c/strong\u003e Do not conclude a postmortem assessment with only the surviving person in charge’s account.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"#conclusion-is-taking-the-helm-again-enough\" class=\"anchor\" id=\"conclusion-is-taking-the-helm-again-enough\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eConclusion: Is Taking the Helm Again Enough?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOdysseus did not give up, did not avoid making decisions in the face of crisis, and ultimately reached his destination. At the same time, his curiosity and vanity created avoidable dangers, while his monopolization of information and lack of trust reduced his companions’ chances of survival.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrue responsibility begins with the willingness to take the helm even after failure, but it does not end there. Leaders must openly examine why the ships were wrecked, whose warnings were ignored, and whether another path could have reduced the sacrifices. The most important lesson Odysseus offers today’s leaders is not “keep going to the end,” but “ask whom you lost while reaching your destination and what responsibility you bear for those losses.”\u003c/p\u003e\n","tags":["Psychological safety","Leadership","Organizational culture","Follow through","Decision Making"],"faqs":[{"question":"Did all the companions who set out with Odysseus really die?","answer":"Yes. In the Odyssey, all the companions in Odysseus's fleet returning home die during the voyage, and only Odysseus returns to Ithaca. However, their causes of death vary, including combat, monster attacks, accidents, disobedience, and divine punishment."},{"question":"How many ships did Odysseus initially lead?","answer":"According to Odysseus's recollection, 12 ships set out together from Troy. The Laestrygonians destroy 11 of them, and only Odysseus's ship escapes, but he later loses that ship and his remaining companions as well."},{"question":"Were all the deaths Odysseus's fault?","answer":"No. Some causes were beyond his full control, such as his companions' disobedience, storms and monsters, and the intervention of the gods. However, there are also clear instances in which he can be held responsible as a leader, such as his decision to remain in the Cyclops's cave, his boastful act of revealing his name after escaping, and his decision to conceal the danger posed by Scylla."},{"question":"Was the decision to sacrifice six men to Scylla justified?","answer":"It can be defended as the lesser evil chosen to avoid Charybdis, which could have destroyed them all. However, not informing the crew about the danger is a separate ethical issue, and the inevitability of the choice does not automatically justify withholding information."},{"question":"Can Odysseus be considered a successful leader?","answer":"It depends on the criteria used. He succeeded in his own survival and return home, but failed in bringing his companions home, preserving the group, and managing time and resources. Therefore, rather than simply judging him a success or failure, it is more accurate to assess the outcomes for each stakeholder and the decision-making process separately."},{"question":"Why has Odysseus been remembered as a hero for so long?","answer":"He represents ingenuity, perseverance, and the longing to return home, while also being a complex figure marked by arrogance and mistakes. Combined with ancient oral traditions, education and translation, performances, and modern adaptations, this has kept the story alive for at least about 2,700 years."},{"question":"Is there survivorship bias in the Odyssey?","answer":"From a modern perspective, it can be read that way. Since Odysseus, the sole survivor, personally recounts many of the major adventures, the perspectives of his dead companions are not recorded. However, because the work as a whole also has a separate narrator, it is not entirely the same as a simple first-person autobiography."},{"question":"What is the key lesson modern organizations can learn from this story?","answer":"Leadership should not be evaluated solely on decisiveness. It is also necessary to examine whose goals are being pursued, the costs borne by members, how dissent is handled, the level of information disclosure, preventable harm, and accountability afterward."}],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0136","title":"Homer, The Odyssey, Perseus Digital Library","type":"source"},{"url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727","title":"The Odyssey by Homer, Project Gutenberg","type":"source"},{"url":"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odyssey-epic-by-Homer","title":"Odyssey | Summary, Characters, Meaning, \u0026 Facts, Encyclopaedia Britannica","type":"source"},{"url":"https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/the-odyssey","title":"The Odyssey, Universal Pictures","type":"source"}],"images":[{"id":653,"url":"https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODA5NywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--712022285e3b6bd0aefef7dea17d7d84e493478b/ai-1b52f1c3.webp","is_representative":true,"generation_method":"ai_image","license":"ai_generated","mime_type":"image/webp","translations":{"ko":{"alt":"난파선 잔해가 떠다니는 거친 바다에서 홀로 배를 몰아 해안 궁전으로 향하는 선원","caption":"괴물과 소용돌이를 뒤로한 외로운 선원이 난파선 사이를 지나 해안으로 향한다.","description":null},"en":{"alt":"Lone sailor steering toward a coastal palace through a dark sea strewn with shipwrecks","caption":"A lone sailor leaves monsters, whirlpools, and shattered ships behind as he approaches the coast.","description":null},"ja":{"alt":"難破船の残骸が漂う暗い海を抜け、海岸の宮殿へ向かう一人の船乗り","caption":"孤独な船乗りが怪物や渦潮、砕けた船を後にして海岸へ向かう。","description":null},"es":{"alt":"Marinero solitario rumbo a un palacio costero entre restos de naufragios en un mar oscuro","caption":"Un marinero solitario deja atrás monstruos, remolinos y barcos destrozados mientras se acerca a la costa.","description":null},"id":{"alt":"Pelaut tunggal menuju istana pesisir melintasi laut gelap yang dipenuhi puing kapal karam","caption":"Seorang pelaut meninggalkan monster, pusaran air, dan kapal yang hancur saat mendekati pantai.","description":null},"pt":{"alt":"Marinheiro solitário rumo a um palácio costeiro em meio a destroços de navios no mar escuro","caption":"Um marinheiro solitário deixa para trás monstros, redemoinhos e navios destruídos ao se aproximar da costa.","description":null},"zh-hant":{"alt":"孤身水手駕船穿過遍布沉船殘骸的暗色海面，駛向岸邊宮殿","caption":"孤身水手拋下怪物、漩渦與破碎船隻，逐漸靠近海岸。","description":null},"de":{"alt":"Einsamer Seefahrer steuert durch ein dunkles Meer voller Wracks auf einen Küstenpalast zu","caption":"Ein einsamer Seefahrer lässt Monster, Strudel und zerborstene Schiffe zurück und nähert sich der Küste.","description":null}}},{"id":654,"url":"https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODEwMywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--eb3183b94394cbc14cd4b126d5ccdb32471a3512/ai-04ab7289.webp","is_representative":false,"generation_method":"ai_image","license":"ai_generated","mime_type":"image/webp","translations":{"ko":{"alt":"난파선과 괴물, 갈라진 동료들 사이에서 키를 잡은 오디세우스의 삽화","caption":"오디세우스가 부하를 잃게 된 여정의 위험과 선택, 책임을 상징적으로 보여준다.","description":null},"en":{"alt":"Odysseus at the helm amid shipwrecks, monsters, and divided companions","caption":"The illustration symbolizes the dangers, choices, and responsibility behind Odysseus losing his crew.","description":null},"ja":{"alt":"難破船や怪物、分裂した仲間たちに囲まれて舵を取るオデュッセウス","caption":"オデュッセウスが部下を失った航海の危機と選択、責任を象徴的に描いている。","description":null},"es":{"alt":"Odiseo al timón entre naufragios, monstruos y compañeros divididos","caption":"La ilustración simboliza los peligros, las decisiones y la responsabilidad tras la pérdida de su tripulación.","description":null},"id":{"alt":"Odiseus memegang kemudi di antara kapal karam, monster, dan awak yang terpecah","caption":"Ilustrasi ini melambangkan bahaya, pilihan, dan tanggung jawab di balik hilangnya seluruh awak Odiseus.","description":null},"pt":{"alt":"Odisseu ao leme entre naufrágios, monstros e companheiros divididos","caption":"A ilustração simboliza os perigos, as escolhas e a responsabilidade pela perda da tripulação de Odisseu.","description":null},"zh-hant":{"alt":"奧德修斯掌舵，四周環繞沉船、怪物與決裂的同伴","caption":"插畫象徵奧德修斯失去所有部下的旅程中所面對的危險、抉擇與責任。","description":null},"de":{"alt":"Odysseus am Steuerrad zwischen Schiffswracks, Monstern und entzweiten Gefährten","caption":"Die Illustration symbolisiert Gefahren, Entscheidungen und Verantwortung hinter dem Verlust seiner Mannschaft.","description":null}}}],"published_at":"2026-08-15T14:31:24+09:00","updated_at":"2026-08-15T14:31:24+09:00","license":"cc_by","translation_status":"reviewed","available_locales":["ko","en","ja","es"],"data_locales":["ko","en","ja","es","id","pt","zh-hant","de"],"url":"https://injoys.com/en/articles/odysseus-leadership-failure-and-responsibility"}