To Boldly Go...

One of the best compliments I ever received was from an employee who compared my management style to that of Captain Picard’s.

I wouldn’t call myself a Trekker, but I’ve seen all episodes of Star Trek’s Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager multiple times, and my favorite Christmas gift last year was the newest Star Trek movie. And I love it when I can communicate in Star Trek shorthand:

• An episode as metaphor (“I, Borg” for the value of individuality over conformity)
• A character as personality descriptor (Spock vs. McCoy)
• A catchphrase as life truism (“Engage!” “Energize!”)

So when my employee paid me that compliment, I was thrilled. I’m being compared to the incomparable Jean-Luc Picard, was my first thought. My second was, isn’t it great to have an employee who’s bilingual (i.e. can speak Star Trek).

What is Picard’s management style? He’s a leader, not just a manager. He listens to everyone but makes his own decisions. He’s a successful delegator who delegates authority not just tasks. He gathers the best team around him, believes in them, and trusts them to do their thing – but sees the Big Picture and sometimes has to step in to preserve the integrity of that vision. He believes in diversity in the workplace. He respects his team and shows it.

How do I know this? Because I’ve seen Picard in action time and again, and because All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek and All the Other Things I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek the Next Generation remind me.

I’ve been rereading both books recently and recommend them for their wit and inspiration. The subject may seem frivolous to those who don’t recognize the value of Star Trek, but these books are full of life-enhancing and life-affirming insights. Like Star Trek itself.

Don’t say it’s just television. As author Dave Marinaccio explains, “Television is a conduit. It’s neither better nor worse than other forms of communication. What’s being conveyed is what’s truly important. The source of ideas is not as important as the substance of the ideas being expressed.”

I may not often succeed at being a Picardian leader but I’m not ashamed to say I aspire to it. It’s a worthy aspiration, after all. Star Trek is the epitome of the modern morality tale. It inspires, enlightens, and even educates – all while entertaining. Even those episodes designed solely for fun are more than the sum of their parts because each main cast is a group of hardworking, decent characters who respect one another, treat one another well, and, while fallible, operate for the general good. There’s also a lot of laughter on Star Trek. And my favorite thing of all is that it envisions a positive future, not an apocalyptic one. Who wouldn’t want to work there? Who wouldn’t want to build such an enterprise?

Make it so.