What can we learn about leadership from the world of science fiction? A lot, according to Jonathan Klug and Steven Leonard, editors of To Boldly Go.
Here, they turn to Star Trek to understand why decisiveness is key to military leadership.
On September 8, 1966, a young William Shatner promised to boldly go, to take viewers where no man has gone before. For the next three years, the captain and crew of the starship Enterprise did just that, as Star Trek proved to be as ground-breaking as Shatner promised. The short-lived series did far more than explore strange new worlds: it foreshadowed the rise of artificial intelligence, quantum physics, and advanced medical technologies; explored ethical dilemmas through a remarkably diverse and inclusive lens; and pushed viewers to the outer reaches of their imaginations.
Over a half-century later, Star Trek is still taking us to the final frontier. As audiences prepare to launch into the fourth season of the wildly popular sequel, Star Trek: Discovery, we’re reminded of just how far we’ve travelled, as well as how far we have yet to go. Through the first three seasons, audiences have revisited some familiar leadership lessons, albeit in a distinctly different corner of the space-time continuum.
From the first episode, Michael Burnham—brilliantly portrayed by Sonequa Martin-Green—lives what it means to lead by example, never asking anything of someone else that she isn’t willing to do herself. As a result, she inspires a dedicated following who recognize and are inspired by her leadership.
The show’s second season ends with the crew of Discovery jumping through a wormhole 930 years into an uncertain future, reminding us—as we often saw in the original series—that for leaders, risk and opportunity are inseparable. Risk is a potent catalyst that fuels opportunity; but, as we have so often learned, if you want to lead, you must embrace the risk that comes with the responsibility.
In the Star Trek universe, viewers have long recognized that diversity is a strength. That leadership tenet has been foundational to Discovery, from the cast of actors to the roles they play in the series. As series creator Gene Roddenberry was fond of saying, “Differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life’s exciting variety, not something to fear.”
Through the first three seasons of Discovery, the crew’s adventures across the galaxy have demonstrated one fundamental truth: trust is the bedrock of leadership. Trust is also essential to an effective team. People must trust in the leader, just as the leader must trust their team. That bond of trust is what allows the crew of the Discovery to find success even in the most remote regions of time and space.
The great captains of Star Trek: Discovery continue in the footsteps of their predecessors: bold and even a little audacious at times. To find success, leaders must be decisive. From Georgiou to Pike to Saru, the captain’s chair has been consistently filled with leaders who rose to the occasion, who led from the front and did so with resoluteness. Now, as the series begins another season, one thing is certain: wherever Discover takes us, we will boldly go into a future where strong leaders take the helm with confidence and venture into the final frontier with courage and determination. Engage!
To Boldly Go
Edited by Jonathan Klug and Steven Leonard
When author Pamela Sargent used words ‘the literature of ideas’ to describe science fiction in 1975, the genre had exploded into the literary mainstream. As a literature of ideas, science fiction has proven to be a powerful metaphor for the world around us, offering a rich tapestry of imagination through which to explore how we lead, how we think, and how we interact. More than thirty writers from around the world – experts in leadership and strategy, senior policy advisors and analysts, professional educators and innovators, experienced storytellers – are assembled to help us better understand ourselves through the lens of science fiction.
Editors
Jonathan Klug is a professor at the U.S. Army War College, military strategist, and historian. A PhD candidate in Military and Naval History at the University of New Brunswick, he is an award-winning military history instructor and has taught at both the Air Force and Naval Academies.
Steve Leonard is an award-winning faculty member at the University of Kansas, where he chairs graduate programs in Organizational Leadership and Supply Chain Management. He is a senior fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point.
Casemate | 9781636240626 | Hardback | £25.00
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