THIS WEEK'S FOCUS:  In the current "debate on politics" in Washington D.C., the nomination of Harriet Miers to fill the vacated seat on the Supreme Court(who has never been a judge), as well as the resignation of the FEMA Director (Browne) after Hurricane Katrina (who did not have any experience with post-disaster reconstruction) have many wondering how we know if someone is truly competent to lead or not.

Question(s): How do you truly know when someone is competent to lead? How do you define a great leader in terms of the qualities that he or she exhibits? Use examples from "The Iliad" to support your arguments.

The only way to be sure that a person is competent enough to be a powerful and successful leader is to be tested in some way or form in order to prove themselves to their superiors. The world of leaders is at a different playing feild as one might say. The pressure may be segnificantly higher to succeed, and it is no longer for your personal asperations but for the good of the whole; the company, the team, or the ARMY! You must be or maybe just make yourself seem, smarter, stronger, and better than the others in order to gain their respect. Though being the best is not the only premise for being a leader, it seems to be the norm for most operations.

The Iliad, for example, shows the triumph and the growth of many leaders; from young to old. An outstanding  example of a test or a proof of worthiness is when Agamemnon tests his men, advising them to return to their ships and sail home after a lost war. But this in turn became a test for his fellow leaders of which includes Odysseus. Odysseus, under Athena's wishes, realizes that he must stop the men from leaving, even if its by force. He takes the great king staff and beats down men who deny his commands and forces them to stay. His actions became proof of his comanding leadership which came forth later in battle.