What Would Kirk Do?
Which Original 'Star Trek' Character Are You?”
There is a quiz on Zimbio titled “Which Original 'Star Trek' Character Are You?” Turns out I am a Kirk! Of course like all such superficial quizzes, it’s likely I just got the answer I wanted, but I’ll roll with it. It does reflect one of the sources of joy in my job – having a team around me that is diverse, and talented in ways that I am not. Being able to play a coordinating role in such a team is a privilege.
For fun, try the quiz yourself. Examine the implications for your strengths and challenges as a change leader. What does this mean for your career and contributions? There are some hints to be found in the relationship between Star Trek’s characters and the field of Change Intelligence.
Change Intelligence
On May 18, 2017, I attended an intriguing presentation by Lindsey Ostrosser and David Ip Yam. The topic was “Using Change Intelligence to Create High Performance Teams”.
Barbara A. Trautlein, Ph.D. coined the term Change Intelligence, or CQ, which she describes as awareness of one’s “change leadership style and the ability to adapt one’s style to be optimally effective in leading change across a variety of situations”. Trautlein identifies three main change leadership styles:
- HEART Start with the Heart, Foster Ownership
- HEAD Engage the Brain, Drive the Strategy
- HANDS Motivate the Movement, Promote Consistency
As Lindsey and David expounded on the characteristics of these styles it struck me that there was a close parallel with three of popular culture’s best known characters.
The Heart and the Head – What Shall We Do?
From Star Trek, for the heart, we have Dr McCoy, the conscience of the Enterprise. Spock is clearly the head style, with this logic and devotion to clear thinking.
The different viewpoints of these characters make for some of the best moments in Star Trek. Witness the heart and the head in Wrath of Khan as they discuss the Genesis device, a means of completely altering the surface of a planet, allowing for new life, or destroying any life already in existence.
Spock: "I was not attempting to evaluate its moral implications, Doctor. As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy than to create… Logic suggests-"
McCoy: "Logic? My God, the man's talking about logic! We're talking about universal Armageddon! You green-blooded, inhuman..."
In their talk, Lindsey and David invited us to consider the strengths of our change leadership style as well as its blind spots. Each style has strengths of value to an organization. More importantly, each challenge has limitations that best addressed by either adopting characteristics of the other styles or collaborating with someone who has the other style.
Enter Captain Kirk, who I submit embodies the Adapter leadership style which Trautlein identified as the change leadership style at the centre of the triangle defined by the Head, Heart and Hands. Kirk is in the fortunate position of having advisors with different worldviews and the confidence to allow their views to shape his as well as the confidence to adopt one style or another as circumstances warrant.
As Kirk said to McCoy in the original series episode “Dagger of the Mind”:
"One of the advantages of being a captain, Doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it."
There’s a great Kirk quote from the original series episode Tholian Web:
"Bones. Spock. Since you are playing this tape, we will assume that I am dead. And the tactical situation is critical and both of you are locked in mortal combat. It means, Spock, that you have control of the ship and are probably making the most difficult decisions of your career. I can only offer one small piece of advice, for whatever it's worth: use every scrap of logic and knowledge at your disposal to save the ship. But temper your judgement with intuitive insight. These are qualities I believe you possess, but if you can't find them in yourself... seek out McCoy. Ask his advice. And if you find it sound... take it."
Kirk is highlighting the fact that the heart and the head must both be brought to bear on decisions. He’s also emphasizing that even Spock can think outside his normal patterns, as can we all.
The Hands – How Shall We Do It?
The third Change Intelligence style is Hands, represented by Scotty, who ensures the Enterprise is ready for the challenges ahead.
There is a lot of attention paid to the relationship between Spock, who gamely suffers the emotional outbursts of Bones, and Bones who routinely chastises Spock for his “green-blooded”, passionless thinking. Despite their surface enmity, they develop a close friendship and use each other as foils to reach their best conclusions.
Less attention is granted Scotty, the Hands. This is partly the fate of all who work in the “back office” – those whose responsibilities are to ensure things run smoothly, no matter which direction they are running to. If the heart and the head ideally reconcile their differences and decide what must be done, the hands must do it.
Perhaps this is why Scotty keeps telling Kirk things will take longer than they really do! His job is in some ways thankless, but also uncomplicated and liberating. Scotty is free to attend to his job without a lot of attention from the bridge, aside from moments like this in Wrath of Khan, with Kirk ordering:
"Scotty, I need warp speed in three minutes or we're all dead!"
Curious about Change Intelligence?
When faced with the need to make a decision, do your best to consider the matter from all viewpoints. Can the head and the heart agree on a course? And can the hands implement it - without breaking the laws of physics?
For more information on Change Intelligence, please contact David Ip Yam, Lindsey Ostrosser or Barbara Trautlein.