I do not want to be accused of over-simplifying the study of leadership, but some comparisons are too elegant to pass up, precisely because of their simplicity. Which leads to me to the interesting archetypal leaders that are Captain James Kirk and Mr. Spock. Yep, that Kirk and Spock.
Kirk is the emotional extrovert, unfiltered in his emotional displays, both good and bad. It does not take deep reflection to understand his position on issues as they are always as clear as the expression on his face. His style can be either inspirational or confounding, depending upon the amount of thinking he did (or did not do) on the subject at hand. His style is most useful when daring action is required to motivate and stimulate the team. Just don’t expect the strategy to be well thought-out. And get ready for lots of testosterone laced conflict.
Mr Spock is the epitome of intellectual cool. He thinks deeply about issues and evaluates all the alternatives in a comprehensive and calculating way. He knows the details. He reflects deeply before he speaks. When he does speak, his words are careful, logical and seemingly irrefutable. His style is most useful when complexity is the order of the day and cool heads are necessary to prevail. Just don’t expect him to lead you confidently into battle, inspiring you to overcome difficult odds.
So at this point you are thinking that you have wasted your time reflecting on leadership through the lens of these fictional characters. Except that we see their likes everyday and everywhere. Including at the highest levels of our country.
Imagine if you will, a different casting of the original Star Trek. This time starring George W. Bush as James T. Kirk, and Barack Obama as Mr. Spock. One the emotional firebrand, always ready for action and the next good fight. The other the logical automaton, calculating the odds, but with nary a detectable pulse. You can not help but wonder, politics aside, that if the two of them were blended, we would have a President with a fully robust leadership style. Alas, it will not be.
Is Jean-Luc Picard available in 2012?