There are many leadership lessons one can take from Star Trek; especially in the world of geeks and techies.

Here are five that I’m thinking about this week. Maybe they can be helpful to you!

• Exploration is a Sage Quality: The very purpose of the stories in Star Trek is exploration. The drive to “Explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before!” is at the heart of the franchise. This sense of wonder and curiosity comes from our Sage brains. Dropping preconceptions, observing what is really out there, and being willing to act from a place of not knowing—not having all the answers and knowing we don’t have to have all the answers—are essential mindset skills for leaders.
• Handle Challenges with Humility: Picard’s admission to Q that humanity had been a savage species was a point of humility, even early on in the TNG series. A leader has to be willing to face truth with humility, admit mistakes, and take responsibility for what comes next. Navigating one’s way toward the bigger purpose, “How do we all get through this together, using everyone’s perspectives and talents?” is a key feature of Star Trek dilemmas.
• Emotions Count: Emotions can lead to both good and bad decisions. Even Spock did not discount the importance of emotions; especially where humans are concerned. Empathize and don’t lean too hard on logic, because not all questions have a best or right answer dictated by logic. For example, things that feel fair to people often have little to do with logic. Make sure that you’re recognizing the emotional weight in any decision. Empathize. Act to boost positive emotions based on your empathy.
• Explore Beyond the First Option: In many Star Trek episodes, the setup we see hides a more complex issue. As the story unfolds, complications crop up. The leader only moves forward after acknowledging the competing interests or issues. Curiosity and a willingness to explore, and then act, is almost always key to overcoming challenges that aren’t what they appear to be at first glance. The Innovation power of your Sage mind unlocks many “What else?” options for you.
• Recover Quickly: Starfleet officers recover quickly from setbacks. They don’t let themselves get stuck in Saboteur hijacking for very long. Training at the Starfleet Academy has prepared them with the mental fitness to be more in control of their thoughts and emotions than their Saboteurs. Every challenge requires some amount of mental fitness. Star Trek often shows us a good role model.

Each of these leadership lessons is more easily handled with the Sage powers from the “thrive” side of the brain. Like any of the best Starfleet leaders acting calmly and decisively in the middle of swirling action, a mentally fit leader is able to handle challenges with positive, laser-focused action.

What if you could gain some of the mental fitness benefits of training at the Starfleet Academy?

I do create training simulations, though none have been loaded up to a true holodeck, yet. (I did a really fun one for a group of global IT project managers not too long ago.) Let me know if you’d like something written for your organization!
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What may be more broadly helpful is the Positive Intelligence mental fitness coaching I do. Talk to me about this. People get huge results in stress relief, focus, empathy, and general happiness and performance from the six week Positive Intelligence program. It takes just 15 minutes a day with app-based training.

Let’s talk if you are curious about this. I have new classes starting in March and April. Hit reply to talk with me about getting into one of those classes. Check out a free 30-minute demo class. Please ​contact me to schedule one​ for you or someone you think would benefit.

With infinite diversity in infinite combinations,
–Steve

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