Five Leadership Lessons From James T. Kirk

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/03/05/five-leadership-lessons-from-james-t-kirk/

Captain James T. Kirk is one of the most famous Captains in the history of Starfleet. There’s a good reason for that. He saved the planet Earth several times, stopped the Doomsday Machine, helped negotiate peace with the Klingon Empire, kept the balance of power between the Federation and the Romulan Empire, and even managed to fight Nazis. On his five-year mission commanding the U.S.S. Enterprise, as well as subsequent commands, James T. Kirk was a quintessential leader, who led his crew into the unknown and continued to succeed time and time again.

Kirk’s success was no fluke, either. His style of command demonstrates a keen understanding of leadership and how to maintain a team that succeeds time and time again, regardless of the dangers faced. Here are five of the key leadership lessons that you can take away from Captain Kirk as you pilot your own organization into unknown futures.

1. Never Stop Learning
“You know the greatest danger facing us is ourselves, an irrational fear of the unknown. But there’s no such thing as the unknown– only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood.”
Move up Move down

Captain Kirk may have a reputation as a suave ladies man, but don’t let that exterior cool fool you. Kirk’s reputation at the Academy was that of a “walking stack of books,” in the words of his former first officer, Gary Mitchell. And a passion for learning helped him through several missions. Perhaps the best demonstration of this is in the episode “Arena,” where Kirk is forced to fight a Gorn Captain in single combat by advanced beings. Using his own knowledge and materials at hand, Kirk is able to build a rudimentary shotgun, which he uses to defeat the Gorn.

If you think about it, there’s no need for a 23rd Century Starship Captain to know how to mix and prepare gunpowder if the occasion called for it. After all, Starfleet officers fight with phasers and photon torpedoes. To them, gunpowder is obsolete. But the same drive for knowledge that drove Kirk to the stars also caused him to learn that bit of information, and it paid off several years later.

In the same way, no matter what your organization does, it helps to never stop learning. The more knowledge you have, the more creative you can be. The more you’re able to do, the more solutions you have for problems at your disposal. Sure, you might never have to face down a reptilian alien on a desert planet, but you never know what the future holds. Knowledge is your best key to overcoming whatever obstacles are in your way.

2. Have Advisors With Different Worldviews
“One of the advantages of being a captain, Doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it.”
Kirk’s closest two advisors are Commander Spock, a Vulcan committed to a philosophy of logic, and Dr. Leonard McCoy, a human driven by compassion and scientific curiosity. Both Spock and McCoy are frequently at odds with each other, recommended different courses of action and bringing very different types of arguments to bear in defense of those points of view. Kirk sometimes goes with one, or the other, or sometimes takes their advice as a springboard to developing an entirely different course of action.

However, the very fact that Kirk has advisors who have a different worldview not only from each other, but also from himself, is a clear demonstration of Kirk’s confidence in himself as a leader. Weak leaders surround themselves with yes men who are afraid to argue with them. That fosters an organizational culture that stifles creativity and innovation, and leaves members of the organization afraid to speak up.

That can leave the organization unable to solve problems or change course. Historically, this has led to some serious disasters, such as Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Organizations that allow for differences of opinion are better at developing innovation, better at solving problems, and better at avoiding groupthink. We all need a McCoy and a Spock in our lives and organizations

3. Be Part Of The Away Team
“Risk is our business. That’s what this starship is all about. That’s why we’re aboard her.”

Whenever an interesting or challenging mission came up, Kirk was always willing to put himself in harm’s way by joining the Away Team. With his boots on the ground, he was always able to make quick assessments of the situation, leading to superior results. At least, superior for everyone with a name and not wearing a red shirt. Kirk was very much a hands-on leader, leading the vanguard of his crew as they explored interesting and dangerous situations.

When you’re in a leadership role, it’s sometimes easy to let yourself get away from leading Away Team missions. After all, with leadership comes perks, right? You get the nice office on the higher floor. You finally get an assistant to help you with day to day activities, and your days are filled with meetings and decisions to be made, And many of these things are absolutely necessary. But it’s sometimes easy to trap yourself in the corner office and forget what life is like on the front lines. When you lose that perspective, it’s that much harder to understand what your team is doing, and the best way to get out of the problem. What’s more, when you’re not involved with your team, it’s easy to lose their trust and have them gripe about how they don’t understand what the job is like.

This is a lesson that was actually imprinted on me in one of my first jobs, making pizzas for a franchise that doesn’t exist anymore. Our general manager spent a lot of time in his office, focused on the paperwork and making sure that we could stay afloat on the razor-thin margins we were running. But one thing he made sure to do, every day, was to come out during peak times and help make pizza. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. The fact that he did so made me like him a lot more. It also meant that I trusted his decisions a lot more. In much the same way, I’m sure, as Kirk’s crew trusted his decisions, because he knew the risks of command personally.

4. Play Poker, Not Chess
“Not chess, Mr. Spock. Poker. Do you know the game?”

In one of my all-time favorite Star Trek episodes, Kirk and his crew face down an unknown vessel from a group calling themselves the “First Federation.” Threats from the vessel escalate until it seems that the destruction of the Enterprise is imminent. Kirk asks Spock for options, who replies that the Enterprise has been playing a game of chess, and now there are no winning moves left. Kirk counters that they shouldn’t play chess – they should play poker. He then bluffs the ship by telling them that the Enterprise has a substance in its hull called “corbomite” which will reflect the energy of any weapon back against an attacker. This begins a series of actions that enables the Enterprise crew to establish peaceful relations with the First Federation.

I love chess as much as the next geek, but chess is often taken too seriously as a metaphor for leadership strategy. For all of its intricacies, chess is a game of defined rules that can be mathematically determined. It’s ultimately a game of boxes and limitations. A far better analogy to strategy is poker, not chess. Life is a game of probabilities, not defined rules. And often understanding your opponents is a much greater advantage than the cards you have in your hand. It was knowledge of his opponent that allowed Kirk to defeat Khan in Star Trek II by exploiting Khan’s two-dimensional thinking. Bluffs, tells, and bets are all a big part of real-life strategy. Playing that strategy with an eye to the psychology of our competitors, not just the rules and circumstances of the game can often lead to better outcomes than following the rigid lines of chess.

5. Blow up the Enterprise
“‘All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.’ You could feel the wind at your back in those days. The sounds of the sea beneath you, and even if you take away the wind and the water it’s still the same. The ship is yours. You can feel her. And the stars are still there, Bones.”

One recurring theme in the original Star Trek series is that Kirk’s first love is the Enterprise. That love kept him from succumbing to the mind-controlling spores in “This Side of Paradise,” and it’s hinted that his love for the ship kept him from forming any real relationships or starting a family. Despite that love, though, there came a point in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, where Captain Kirk made a decision that must have pained him enormously – in order to defeat the Klingons attacking him and save his crew, James Kirk destroyed the Enterprise. The occasion, in the film, was treated with the solemnity of a funeral, which no doubt matched Kirk’s mood. The film ends with the crew returning to Vulcan on a stolen Klingon vessel, rather than the Enterprise. But they returned victorious.

We are often, in our roles as leaders, driven by a passion. It might be a product or service, it might be a way of doing things. But no matter how much that passion burns within us, the reality is that times change. Different products are created. Different ways of doing things are developed. And there will come times in your life when that passion isn’t viable anymore. A time when it no longer makes sense to pursue your passion. When that happens, no matter how painful it is, you need to blow up the Enterprise. That is, change what isn’t working and embark on a new path, even if that means having to live in a Klingon ship for awhile.

Final Takeaway:
In his many years of service to the Federation, James Kirk embodied several leadership lessons that we can use in our own lives. We need to keep exploring and learning. We need to ensure that we encourage creativity and innovation by listening to the advice of people with vastly different opinions. We need to occasionally get down in the trenches with the members of our teams so we understand their needs and earn their trust and loyalty. We need to understand the psychology of our competitors and also learn to radically change course when circumstances dictate. By following these lessons, we can lead our organizations into places where none have gone before.

How much money have you wasted today on bad and/or duplicate data?

I talk with a lot of Quality and other Business Professionals that are very frustrated that they spend a significant amount of time re-typing, checking, re-checking data used in Management Review Reports. No one wants to present the Executive management reports that are wrong.

There is no better time for QA and other business professionals to address this issue by looking at next generation development and integration tools.

Send me an email to jcachat@silicocorp.com if you would like to hear more about this.

Silico to Offer IQS, Epicor and Infor/Visual Manufacturing Customers an Exciting Alternative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
9AM EST, JUNE 6, 2011

Silico to Offer IQS, Epicor and Infor/Visual Manufacturing Customers an Exciting Alternative

Better Technology, Lower Cost.

Cleveland, Ohio, June 6, 2011—Several IQS customers contacted John Cachat, President of Silico and former Chairman and Chief Vision Officer of IQS, after they had a chance to see the new IQS web product. “Disappointed, frustrated, even angry, are some of the words describing the marketplace feelings with the IQS web product,” stated Cachat. “We do not want to let these companies wallow in old technology, and that’s why we decided to create a new QMS offering.” Silico is offering special incentives for any IQS customer moving to this new platform until December 2011. Several IQS customers have already signed up. This special offer also applies to Epicor Advanced Quality and Infor/Visual Quality users as their quality modules are based on the IQS software.

Silico will be hosting a 90 minute web meeting on Tuesday, June 21st at 2:00 PM EST to demonstrate this exciting next generation quality management system (QMS) framework. You can register for the event at http://www.silicocorp.com/events.html. Anyone interested in QMS software is welcome to attend.

The phone calls and emails from IQS customers and other companies looking for QMS software are increasing every week. Many companies are several versions behind in their QMS license, and when trying to get the latest version they are forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars in past maintenance fees to stay with old technology. “Any time a company is looking at that kind of money, they are going to start the buying cycle over and look at new software vendors,” stated Tim Fallon, Vice President of Silico.

“The biggest competitive advantage Silico has in the marketplace is that the technology is not limited to Quality. The Silico platform can support many IT initiatives because IT departments can use the Silico platform for other web based application development. This means that IT departments are now supporting the Quality professionals who no longer have to fight the “IT battle” to get their project approved. In addition, companies want Business Intelligence. Not just the analytics that are part of the Silico platform, but an application that is designed to help people do their jobs. The days of software being used only to capture data are over. Software must help people plan, execute, and learn,” continued Fallon.

Cachat clarified that the Silico QMS software is NOT a typical commercial off the shelf software (COTS) product. The Business Process Management technology used offers complete end user flexibility in web form creation and business rule workflows. The Silico QMS is an extensive set of “best in class templates” (based on decades of experience and expertise in the Quality space) that allows companies to rapidly create their forms and define their processes. This environment saves a significant amount of time in training and deployment, and it also eliminates expensive software customization fees charged by traditional software companies using old technologies. The Silico Technology is entirely web based and can run on iPads, tablets and cell phones to support both plant floor and remote access. All you need is a browser. If you are going to attract the next generation workforce, you will have to have next generation technology.

Cachat also plans to repeat his previously successful efforts to engage ten large organizations with very attractive enterprise pricing as a benefit of helping Silico launch this new offering. Several companies are already engaged with Silico to discuss unlimited enterprise software licensing.

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About Silico Corporation
Silico helps organizations improve by focusing on people, processes, and then technology—in that order. Silico's business process management (BPM) services include state of the art technology for rapid solution development®. Silico’s Quality Management System (QMS) Instant Application Framework allows you to start with the web-based QMS templates and rapidly configure your forms and your processes with integrated workflow at the speed of business, without programming. www.silicocorp.com

Next Generation Quality Management Software

Silico next generation qms may 12 2011

View more presentations from John Cachat

Cachat Announces Next Generation Quality Management Software

Business Process Management Expert to Demonstrate Silico’s New QMS Platform

Cleveland, Ohio, March 8, 2011—In November of 2010, John Cachat surveyed the manufacturing community to determine their interest in working together to develop a next generation quality management software (QMS) framework, and received an overwhelmingly positive response. Cachat, President of Silico (www.silicocorp.com), has been focusing on rapid solution development technology to allow organizations to replace stand alone spreadsheets and homegrown databases with more robust and secure business systems. The Silico philosophy is people, process, and then technology. Technology is not the focus, rather, engaging people and making processes more efficient and effective is the goal. All of these efforts are performed in order to obtain a high financial return for the organization.

Silico will be hosting a web meeting on Tuesday March 22 @ 2PM EST to demonstrate this exciting new next generation QMS framework. You can register for the event at www.silicocorp.com/events.

Several customers from Cachat’s previous company, IQS, contacted him after they had a chance to see the “new IQS web” product. “Disappointed, frustrated, even angry, are some of the words describing the marketplace feelings with the IQS web product,” stated Cachat. “I do not want to let these companies down, and that is one of the major reasons I decided to launch this new QMS development effort.” Silico will offer special discounts for any IQS customer moving to this new platform until December 2011. Several IQS customers have already signed up for the new Silico offering. This special offer also applies to Epicor Advanced Quality and Visual Quality users.

Cachat clarified that the Silico QMS software is NOT a typical commercial off the shelf software (COTS) product. The Business Process Management technology used offers complete end user flexibility in web form creation and business rule workflows. The Silico QMS is an extensive set of best in class templates allowing companies to rapidly create their forms and define their processes. This environment saves a significant amount of time in training and deployment, and it also eliminates expensive software customization fees charged by software companies. It is entirely web based and can run an on iPad and even cell phones to support both plant floor and remote access. All you need is a browser.

When asked about the overall QMS software marketplace, Cachat commented that the majority of the QMS software companies are stuck in old client server technology and cannot afford to convert to a web platform. Silico has already signed some of these “competitors” as business partners and will move their clients to the state of the art Silico platform. Silico also intends to collaborate with more organizations looking for partnerships. Silico has already engaged several very large companies interested in being part of this initial product launch group, and these companies will receive attractive enterprise pricing as a benefit of helping Silico launch this new offering.

Finally, the pricing strategy. Companies are faced with aging QMS software and the only option, in most cases, is to go out and buy a completely new application. Silico’s message is simple—better technology and lower cost. The Silico QMS framework will be priced at almost half the cost of major competitors and offer the rapid solution development capability. It is the best of both worlds for less money. Silico QMS will also be available as a hosted solution in the cloud.

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About Silico Corporation
Silico helps organizations improve by focusing on people, processes, and then technology—in that order. Silico's business process management (BPM) services include state of the art technology for rapid solution development®. www.silicocorp.com

Preparing For The Economic Up Turn

Manage the increased complexity of critical business processes, says John Cachat, President of Silico Corporation. BPM will help.

A wide range of companies are investing in Business Process Management (BPM), recognizing that implementing business process improvements may be one of the major deciding factors in determining which organizations are best able to weather the current economic storm and be efficient when the economy turns around. Companies leveraging BPM as part of their corporate strategy in the face of such difficult times will likely be among the top performers in the coming years as the economy improves.

In the current economic climate, many companies are primarily focused on the bottom-line benefits of BPM for controlling costs and improving operational efficiencies. The emphasis at these organizations is toward quick value, bite-size investments that will provide the fastest impact. Even as these short-term priorities dominate the current market, long-term strategies focusing on initiatives critical for business success, including eliminating waste from global processes, must exist today.

When the economy begins its turn-around, companies are also looking for a technology framework that may provide the opportunity to do more with less, which means they will not have to bring back all the employees that have been laid off or bring on all the new hires that are planned.

"As companies try to find cost optimization opportunities during the economic downturn, business process management (BPM) investments can provide a cost savings of as much as 20 percent within the first year of implementation, according to Gartner, Inc. Analysts have said enterprises can achieve the payback from their BPM implementation within a year."

Cachat recommends a proven approach:
• Start small and grow
• Start with labor intensive processes with high volume of documents/forms
• Look for technology that will allow end user configuration under a controlled IT environment and allows easy integration with existing enterprise applications.

Forrester Research defines Business Process Management (BPM) as designing, executing and optimizing cross-functional business activities that incorporate people, application systems and even business partners. This definition means that BPM is more than just workflow technology or collaboration with a SharePoint site. The technology to support BPM must provide the following capabilities:
• Cross functional processes (Human to Human)
• Integration with business systems (Human to System)
• Software integration (System to System)
• Integration with business partners (Customer, Suppliers, Internal)

Cachat further suggests the following technology deployment goals:
• Do things through the most well known interface in the world—email
• Provide people with a link from email that asks them to do something, they do it, and the “app” does the rest
• Zero based training— customers, employees, and suppliers will not even realize they are using an “app”

SummaryEven though companies have implemented spending freezes, now is the time to review and prepare for BPM investments so that when the budgets open up again, the BPM proposal is on the top of the stack.

About the AuthorJohn Cachat is President of Silico Corporation (www.silicocorp.com). Silico helps organizations improve by focusing on people, processes, and then technology. Silico's business process management (BPM) services include state of the art technology for rapid solution development®. We do this by helping with leadership, teamwork and problem solving. The results are continuous improvement throughout the organization by focusing on the needs of the customer, empowering employees, and optimizing existing activities in the process.

John Cachat, Founder of Quality Management Software Provider IQS, Launches New Company - Managing Automation

John Cachat, Founder of Quality Management Software Provider IQS, Launches New Company - Managing Automation