In his Iliad, Homer uses the character of Diomedes to personify his definition of effective leadership, often juxtaposing him with the unproductive and cowardly Agamemnon. Homer believes that the courage to assert one's opinions and the willingness to act independently, even against authority, constitutes a successful leader. After suffering heavy losses at the hands of Hector and the Trojans in book 9, it is Diomedes who first denounces Agamemnon's plans for retreat and unifies the Achaean forces with words of promise. Later in the same book, after the embassy to Achilles fails, Diomedes alone instills hope in the Achaean kings by taking control of the agitated king and ordering Agamemnon to fight on the front lines himself. Finally, Diomedes is forced to bravely save the Achaean cause again in book 14 when Agamemnon is tempted by thoughts of capitulation and returning home – he exercises his authority and bravely refuses to retreat, encouraging his comrades to continue the fight. Diomedes' effective leadership saves the Achaean forces from Agamemnon's incompetent rule and leads to the eventual fall of Troy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essay Homer first explicitly equates bravery and independence with leadership while describing the panicked reaction of the Achaeans to the recent victories of the Trojans. In a state of utter despair, Agamemnon plans to return home and return in disgrace. Diomedes immediately retaliates: “Desert – if your spirit pushes you… but the rest… will hold until we have plundered Troy” (Il 9.48-53). Diomedes understands that Troy is destined to fall and that abandoning the siege now would fail both his troops and his countrymen. Instead of succumbing to the whims of his ruler, Diomedes bolsters the morale of the soldiers and essentially saves the Achaean cause through his effective leadership and courageous assertion of his rightful opinion. Likewise, after the embassy to Achilles proves to be a failure, Diomedes' superior leadership is exemplified when he takes control of a desperate situation and courageously rejects ideas of capitulation or retreat proposed by Agamemnon. As the Achaean kings fall into despair, Diomedes wastes no time in reprimanding Agamemnon's poor leadership and quickly orders him to "Deploy your chariots...and you yourself, fight at the head of the ranks" (Il 9.863- 865). Accepting Achilles' stubbornness as inevitable defeat is simply cowardice – in complete opposition to the Homeric definition of great leadership. Although Diomedes openly oversteps the mark by ordering his superior to fight on the front lines, he understands what is necessary for victory, unlike the incompetent Agamemnon. Diomedes' unorthodox action is clearly effective and representative of capable and productive leadership; those present immediately regard him as their leader and accept his battle plan – thus keeping the Achaean struggle alive. Finally, as all hope for the Achaeans once again seems lost, Diomedes' qualities as a leader shine against Agamemnon's inadequate leadership. Once again the Trojans appear to have defeated the Achaeans, and once again Agamemnon offers to flee in shame to Greece. Instead of accepting this offer or expressing his desire to return home as most soldiers would, Diomedes courageously rejects any idea of ​​capitulation. Diomedes orders: “I say, return to battle, wounded as we were” (Il 14.156) and his leadership is adopted by the soldiers. SO.