Leadership Qualities of Star Fleet Captains

Kevin Dilmore and Dayton Ward wrote an interesting article, Following the Leaders in Jan/Feb issue of Star Trek. In the article they explored the leadership qualities of the various captains featured in the Star Trek universe. Here are the eight qualities listed.

(1) Initiative

"Well, a little late, but I'm glad they're seeing it our way"
-Captain James Kirk, Amok Time (Star Trek)

(2) Judgment and Decisiveness

"A hundred decisions a day, hundred of lives staked on you making everyone of them right."

-Commodore Stone, Court Martial (Star Trek)

(3) Integrity

"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth...whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth. It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based."

-Captain Jean-Luc Picard, The First Duty (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

(4) Courage

"I don't care if the odds are against us. If we're going to lose, then we're going to go down fighting - so that when our descendants someday rise up against the Dominion, they'll know what they are made of."

- Captain Benjamin Sisko, Statistical Probabilities (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

(5) Bearing and Tack

"If you respect our customs and we see that respect, we will be friends..."

-Lutan to Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Code of Honor (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

(6) Loyalty

"Because the needs of the one outweighted the needs of the many."

-Admiral James Kirk, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

(7) Endurance

"...I'm going to ask all of you to think back to the day when this ship was first launched. We were explorers then. When all this is over and earth is safe, I want you to get back to that job. There are 400 billions stars in our galaxy. We've only explored a tiny fraction. You have a lot of work to do. Of all the captains who will sit on this chair, I can't imagine any of them being more proud than I am right now."

-Captain Jonathan Archer, Azati Prime (Star Trek: Enterprise)

(8) Justice

"In a part of space where there are few rules, it's more important than ever that we hold fast to our own."

-Captain Kathryn Janeway, Alliances (Star Trek: Voyager)

The Star Trek Universe is one imaginary universe from which I have learnt many important life lessons. From naming a space shuttle "Enterprise" to Motorola flip-phones, its influence on our own universe is undeniable. I have been a Trekkee, Trekker and now, Trekster. I am still recovering from the horror of 2005, when the television Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled after 4 seasons. However there is hope in the Star Trek universe as there is hope for ours. This year will see another Star Trek movie and the launching of a new computer game, Star Trek: Conquest.

Make it so

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