Beowulf's Leadership Qualities

What makes a leader successful? Perhaps they strike fear in the hearts of their people who in turn become too scared to oppose them. Or maybe they are righteous and fair, with many loyal followers and a strong will. In the epic poem Beowulf, the character in which the story is named after is a very successful leader and later king. He is not successful for holding his people hostage and forcing them around, but instead for being just and compassionate for his country. The main qualities of Beowulf which make him a successful leader are goodwill, courage, and generosity. Goodwill is the desire to help others, which Beowulf clearly demonstrates by traveling to the land of the Danes to rid them of the evil Grendel, who has been terrorizing …show more content…
When Beowulf later becomes king of the Geats, he demonstrates profoundly his generosity to his people. As he lies dying in the arms of Wiglaf after their fight with the dragon, he gives him his beautiful collar of gold and gilded armor as a reward for helping him in the battle. “Then the king in his great-heartedness unclasped/the collar of gold from his neck and gave it/to the young thane, telling him to use/it and the warshirt and the gilded helmet well” (Beowulf 189). Beowulf is by no means greedy and willing to give away vast amounts of treasure to those who have earned it. He could have just as easily kept his armor in death and not have given it away, and no one would have blamed him for it. However, the old king decides to give possibly his most prized possessions to the young man who fought by his side against the dragon. A generous leader is successful because they promote a sort of togetherness among their people by giving them what they need or what they have earned. Most people would prefer a generous leader over a greedy one simply because it is a trait that works in their favor. A king that gives many rewards is more likely to have loyal followers who are unified under