The Odyssey Movie Reflection
- Dr. Heather Wellman
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 30
When I was an undergraduate, I worked as a teaching assistant for a professor who was writing a book on The Odyssey. Because I had to engage with the text so deeply, it became the most influential story of my life. It shaped how I view systems, resilience, and growth, and it deeply impacted my family. So when Christopher Nolan’s adaptation came out, we traveled from far and wide to see it together in IMAX.
You may have seen scholars and critics online dissecting what the film changed about the story. The critics (some of whom I greatly admired) made me nervous to see this film. I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations or that it would miss the mark on what this 2,000 year old story is really about.
To me, The Odyssey has never been a story about a man fighting monsters on his way home. It is an allegory about the journey we all take to reach our full potential and fulfill our destiny. It highlights a universal truth: we will all run into obstacles. Some are pure chance; others are entirely of our own making. The test of leadership is learning to not lose sight of the mission while also embracing the journey.
When you get mired down in the obstacle, that is when you lose sight of where you are actually trying to go. In leadership today, especially for those leading small, rural, or resource-constrained organizations, there is constant attention-pulling. The single biggest challenge I coach leaders on is navigating the urgent versus the priority. When you are putting out fires every day, you can’t focus on the mission you set out to accomplish. But the fires still have to be put out.
Leaders get pulled in every direction because they have to wear every hat. While Nolan's film streamlines some parts of the epic poem, it nails this core tension. It shows that staying on course despite relentless disruption isn't just an individual struggle for the person at the top; it applies to the whole system .Penelope and Telemachus face entirely different obstacles than Odysseus, yet they are fighting the same battle to preserve their home. Penelope’s strategic delay (holding off the suitors day after day) is a masterclass in managing toxic environmental pressure and protecting the core system until the timing is right. Telemachus has to step into his own authority in the middle of chaos he didn't create, and take big risks to get big rewards.
In any organization, your staff and your family are on their own parallel journeys. They face different hazards, but leadership requires keeping everyone anchored to the same Ithaca (North Star, Mission, Vision, Goal).
In a true meta-moment, the movie itself embodies this message. In a fast-paced world pushing for cheap shortcuts, Nolan resisted the pressure to cut corners. Choosing practical effects, physical sets, and traditional human craft over CGI and AI was a massive risk. Pressure from bosses, boards, and public expectations usually drives people toward what is fast and easy. Nolan stayed the course. The fact that theaters are sold out across the country proves that people are starving for depth, substance, and genuine human ingenuity. We don't need fewer obstacles. We need a clearer view of our Ithaca and the discipline to stop letting the fires determine our direction.
I hope you enjoy the reflection and it makes you think deeper about leadership!
Talk soon,
Heather
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