Lessons In Leadership I Learned From Captain Picard

Encourage While Correcting

Remember the time Picard got mad at Data and called him a “nearsighted scrap pile”? Or when Picard kicked Data on that desert planet for disagreeing with him and said he was an “overweight glob of grease”? Didn’t Picard once call Data “goldenrod”? You don’t remember those moments? That’s because they never happened, Picard was too good for that.

Picard had to come down on his crew and correct their actions from time to time, but he always did it by framing the conversation so that he could encourage them while correcting. The trick Picard used was reminding his crew of their responsibilities to their uniform and Starfleet.

By reminding his crew of the standards he expected of them he not only corrected their actions, but also made them realize what they could be. He wanted them to correct their actions so that they could become a better officer or crewman and advance and grow.

So instead of saying “you’re going to get fired if…” the Captain Picard approach would be to say “if you want to advance in this company…”

Sometimes though even the best leaders will lose their cool and need the next tip…

Next: Don't Be Afraid To Apologize