To boldly go where no man has gone before. Could any series have a better leadership tagline than Star Trek?
I think not.
Those 9 words speak volumes on how a leader should lead. He’s ready to go where no leader has gone before.
And that’s why Star Trek Beyond (buy it on Amazon) is the perfect vessel to delve into the mysteries of leadership.
Caution: Star Trek Beyond movie spoilers ahead
Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Star Trek Beyond
1. You record adventures: Star Trek Beyond opens up as Captain James T. Kirk is recording the captain’s log. He’s doing a voice recording of what the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise has been through and how they’re feeling.
He’s creating a lasting record of what has happened.
Keeping a record of your leadership journey is a wise idea. You can look back and see where you missed the mark and where you succeeded. These journal entries can help you continue leading when you don’t feel like it.
2. Leaders may struggle with continuing to lead: Captain Kirk was struggling. He wondered how much more he could take.
Did he really want to be the captain of a spaceship that would be away from civilization for so long? Could he and the crew handle the loneliness of space.
Those were questions that were rattling around in his head.
You probably have leadership doubts too.
You may wonder if you’re qualified to lead. You may question whether you’re truly making a difference in the life of those you lead. You may doubt that you can take the team to the next level.
You’re in good company.
Every single leader has doubts. He questions himself. He wonders whether he has what it takes to lead well.
The great leaders know they can’t stay there. They push through and lead.
3. Captain James T. Kirk:
My dad joined Starfleet because he believed in it… I joined on a dare
Here’s the thing. You may not have started out in the proper mindset for leadership. You may have become a leader because no one else wanted to or maybe, like Captain Kirk, you became part of leadership on a dare.
You don’t have to stay where you start. You can become a better leader by changing your focus and doing the right things.
4. Life goes on: While the crew of the Enterprise was on their 5-year mission, Ambassador Spock passed away. Spock learns this upon their arrival at Starbase Yorktown.
The reality of life is that it continues whether we’re an active part of it or not.
Life at home goes on while you’re in the office. There’s no stopping it.
5. Great leaders help those in need: Captain Kirk and his crew were approached by a space vessel requesting assistance. The pilot of the ship told them her crew needed help.
Kirk and his team didn’t hesitate. They took decisive action and jumped to help those in need.
Great leaders aren’t in leadership for their own gain. No, great leaders are out to help others.
6. Commodore Paris:
It isn’t uncommon, you know? It’s easy to get lost. In the vastness of space, there’s only yourself, your ship, your crew.
We see it happen all the time. A once-great leader becomes lost.
He loses his vision. He loses his organization. He might even lose his family.
Losing ourselves in our work is easier than we believe.
Be careful. Watch yourself. Don’t let yourself get lost in your work.
7. Captain Kirk:
There’s no such thing as the unknown, only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood.
I loved this quote by Captain Kirk. We think there’s a lot of unknowns.
There’s not. There’s only the things we don’t know at this point in time.
At some point, these unknown factors will be revealed.
8. Bad leaders don’t care what happens to those they lead: Krall, the main protagonist in Star Trek Beyond, was one bad dude. Not only that, he was a bad leader.
After he had others attack the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, he came on the scene. Then he ordered that the ship be cut in half… While HIS people were still onboard.
He didn’t care what happened to those he led. He only cared about getting what he wanted.
Don’t be like Krall. Don’t be a bad leader.
9. Not only the information we gather is accurate: Soon after launching out to rescue the crew, they discovered that the information they were given was bad. They had been sent into a trap.
While I highly doubt you’re going to receive information that leads you into a trap, you may receive some bad information. information that takes you off course.
Be careful of the information you receive. Vet the sources to ensure you’re getting the best information you can.
10. Krall:
Your captain, why did you sacrifice yourself for him?
Captain Kirk was an inspiring leader. He gained the loyalty and trust of his team. So much so that they were willing to lay down their well-being for his.
Great leaders inspire intense loyalty among those they lead. Are you inspiring this kind of devotion?
11. Sometimes none of your options are appealing: After crash landing on the alien planet, Spock was injured. Luckily he had Dr. Bones McCoy nearby.
When Dr. McCoy looked at his options, none of them seemed promising. Still, the good doctor had to take action.
You’ll be presented with options that may not seem to be the best. Unfortunately, there will be times when you have to choose from a bad and bad option.
12. Lieutenant Uhura:
There is strength in unity
I’m not sure if there’s anything more that needs to be said.
13. Spock:
We will do what we have always done: Find hope in the impossible
The team on the Enterprise faced some daunting tasks. You’ve probably faced your own.
What happened in those times when things too much? You overcame. You made it through!
Why? Because there was hope in what could be.
Don’t give up hope when things seem impossible. Push through to the other side.
14. Great leaders do their best to leave no man behind: Captain Kirk had a choice to leave behind Jaylah, an alien woman who helped his team.
He could have left her behind. No one would have been the wiser.
Yet Kirk is a great leader. He risked his life to go back and make sure she was beamed up to the ship.
Don’t leave people behind. They’re counting on you.
15. Captain Kirk:
Spock, skip to the end
In a comical scene in Star Trek Beyond, Kirk had to encourage Spock to get to the point. Spock had been going into the technical details. Kirk needed the nitty gritty, if you catch my drift.
How often as leaders do we go into the technical side of things rather than the need to knows? More often than you think.
Learn how to provide the information needed in a way your team will understand.
16. Captain Kirk:
Better to die saving lives than killing them
I hope this Captain Kirk quote stirs your soul. We can’t be a great leader if we’re taking the lives of others.
We can only become great leaders if we’re helping those we lead to succeed.
17. Leading isn’t about getting to the next level: Captain Kirk had put his name in the hat for a promotion. He wanted to get to the next leadership level. He wanted out.
But by the end of the movie, Kirk realizes that leadership isn’t about continually progressing up the “corporate ladder.”
No, leadership was about making a difference in the lives of those he led.
Are you willing to stick it out when you don’t want to? Even if there’s an easy out?
Remember, leadership isn’t about how good you look or feel. Leadership is about the difference you make in the lives of others.
Question: Have you seen Star Trek Beyond? If so, what leadership lessons did you take away from the movie? If you haven’t seen the movie, what was your favorite lesson or quote that I shared?
Do you enjoy leadership lessons from the movies? Would you like more leadership lessons from the movies? Check out the Reel Leadership archives here for more leadership lessons from the movies.
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