Military Journal: "Leadership Lessons" of Capt. Kirk

Crosstalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering isn't your typical military journal. The December issue, for instance, features a cartoon team of IT superheroes on the cover. Still, it is "an approved Department of Defense journal." So the DANGER ROOM HQ exploded in laughter when Nemo unearthed this article entitled, "Leadership, The Final Frontier: Lessons from the Captains of Star Trek." Here's a sample:

• The first captain to appear on Star Trek was an energetic, hands-on leader. He led every crew excursion to new planets and took an active role in all interactions with new civilizations. Captain Kirk also relied heavily on his crew, especially his science officer, chief engineer, and doctor. He pushed them all to succeed but depended on their counsel to help him make decisions. His crew knew who was in charge, but responded to his call for their input and did their best to answer his needs.
  From Captain Kirk, managers can learn the power of involving and empowering their staff.*

Captain Kirk had one talent unmatched by any of the other captains:
No one handled being struck by an invisi-
ble force like James T. Kirk. Whether it was an energy blow, a psychic blow or some other kind of unseen force, Captain
Kirk might double over in pain, but he would push through it to complete his mission. Managers find themselves assaulted by unexpected unseen forces.
These forces often cause pain and impact on schedules, staffing, and quality. Like
Captain Kirk, managers must find a way through unanticipated problems to reach their goals.