Author’s Note: I am a trekkie. But after watching William Shatner, famously known as the legendary Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek, become the oldest person to journey to space, it got me to thinking about what we can learn from the sci-fi show. Going a bit deeper, I thought about what the show could teach CLOs about their work today.

As a result, my article series entitled What Star Trek Can Teach CLOs was ideated. Part I of the series focuses on Captain Kirk himself. Part II focuses on Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Part III focuses on Captain Benjamin Sisko from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Part IV focuses on Captain Kathryn Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager. Part V focuses on Captain Jonathan Archer from Star Trek: Enterprise. Part VI, this piece and the final is the article series, will focus on Captain Michael Burnham from Star Trek: Discovery. I hope you find useful information from my analysis.

Learning Captain Burnham

The Long Way Round

Star Trek: Discovery (DISCO) first premiered on CBS in 2017. It marked the first new show in the Trek franchise since Star Trek: Enterprise went off the air in 2005. Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, Discovery was roughly set a decade before the original Star Trek series… which itself was set in the 23^rd Century.

The series follows then-Commander Michael Burnham. It’s the first time in Star Trek history, the main character of the show was not, in fact, the ship’s captain. At the time Commander Burnham was the first officer onboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou under the command of Captain Philippa Georgiou, played by the fantastic Michelle Yeoh.

Burnham, having been raised by her adopted parent, the Vulcan Sarek and his human wife, Amanda, her main course of reasoning was that of logic and not emotion despite her species. In fact, it was her pursuit of logic, alongside her adoptive brother Spock (YES! That Spock), that brought the story into focus.

Attempting to keep the Federation out of a war with the Klingon Empire, Burnham deduced that the warrior race would only respond to force rather than diplomacy. When she approached Captain Georgiou with the recommendation that the Shenzhou fire on the Klingon vessel, it was dismissed as a viable option. Burnham’s steadfastness to logic forced her to mutiny against Captain Georgiou… rendering her unconscious and attempt to take command.

Once in control, Burnham gave the order to fire on the Klingon ship. However, the pre-emptive strike was thwarted by Captain Georgiou who, after regaining consciousness, had Burnham arrested. But the damage had been done. The Klingons opened fire and the great Federation-Klingon War began.

Burnham survived the initial attack while Captain Georgiou was killed in battle. Burnham was stripped of her rank, arrested, and imprisoned for mutiny.

Eventually, she was given an opportunity to return to duty and prove herself a capable Starfleet officer.

Over the course of three seasons, Burnham changed. She came to understand the value of logic… but learned that it wasn’t always right. She also learned to trust and embrace her emotions as a human.

And after three seasons eventually became Captain of Discovery. The show, still on the air as of the writing of this article, is in its fourth season. Burnham is still developing as a captain, but there are qualities that existed from Day One.

Based on this information, what can the character teach CLOs about leadership and delivering on promises/strategies? If we had to narrow the list of characteristics down to focus on, let’s go with:

• Logically Illogical
• Trust
• Values Emotions
• Under Development

The Logically Illogical CLO

I think it is fitting to start out this section with a quote from Michael Burnham herself:

“The real world doesn’t always adhere to logic. Sometimes down is up, sometimes up is down… and sometimes when you’re lost, you’re found.”

As chief learning offices know, they are often held to a logic standard. Decisions must make sense and deliver outcomes. That, however, is not always the case. CLOs should look for logic, but to always trust it as the right way to make a decision. Sometimes, the more impractical or “illogical” solution is the right one to make.

I know that is terribly confusion, but I often say, “In order to make money, you have to spend money.” I can’t think of a better way to encapsulate what I am trying to say. It doesn’t always make sense to people that you have to spend money to turn a profit, but we do it all the time. Ventures are not created without financial support.

Decisions for CLOs are sometimes the same. Decisions don’t always have to make sense to work. Nor should someone have to explain it. Sometime, we just have to accept that the lack of logic for something to happen is part of its necessary logic to exist.

The Trusting CLO

Burnham, while she has struggled with trust before, has ultimately learned to trust others… and to trust herself.

We all know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a relationship lacking in trust. In constantly interferes with our motivation and understand of the motives of or leaders. It also calls into question every single decision that is made. And those are just a few of the problems.

CLOs must be trusting with their team members… but also their employees. But not so trusting that they take everything for granted.

Being trusting means understanding that decisions made around learning are appropriate for the challenges face by the workplace. It also means making sure the prescribed business alignment exists and can further the business. And it means making sure that learning is readily available, deliverable, and retainable.

The Values Emotions CLO

It’s very easy for us to disconnect our emotions from our work. It’s simply not possible nor is it always expected. The CLO that values emotions expects all employees to come to work as their complete selves. That means all applicable emotional baggage.

Why?

Think of your life as a car. The wheels are your emotions. Just like a car can’t go anywhere without its wheels… or on a trailer with wheels… you can’t go anywhere without your emotions. Your emotions help make sense of the world around you.

I bring this up because emotions are a critical piece of an experiential learning strategy. If an employee doesn’t like the experience, he/she/they won’t do it again. That means CLOs and their teams must be aware of emotions and how to employee them positively in the learning environment.

The Under Development CLO

Every CLO must be under development. What does that mean? Simple… keep learning. Like your employees, you will never know everything. Keep learning. Keep seeking knowledge. Use it. And then learn from what happened. Always, always, always… be an under development chief learning officer.

History is made with Captain Burnham

It is fitting to end with Captain Burnham. Yes. There are other captains, but Michel Burnham makes sense when I consider the closing of this article series.

I must point out the reality of what Captain Burnham means to the Star Trek Universe as a whole. Mrs. Martin-Green is the first woman of color to sit in the captain’s chair and, thus, lead a Star Trek cast. And no one is better suited.

Seeing Martin-Green is what the franchise needed to continue to inspire. It is not built on top of her casting, but it is made so much more powerful. Star Trek, by its very nature, has been inspiring and driving the conversation around many of our country’s greatest controversies for more than 50 years. I, as a father of two daughters and an American, must say that disparities over race, gender, sexual identity and more are atrocities for which our country must work to atone and eradicate.

Star Trek and Captain Burnham, in its own way, are working to level those disparities and to create real diversity, equity and inclusion in our world. Star Trek is more than a show, it is our view of the world as it could be AND as it should be. I am thankful that Star Trek is there to help shape the world of today into the world of tomorrow… for my children and all our children. It, along with protecting our planet from climate change, is one of our greatest responsibilities.