Every now and then, we all get in over our heads and don’t even know it. When we are creating our PowerPoint presentations, we can find ourselves marooned, not knowing which way is up, lost and not sure where to turn in a confusion of fonts, templates, outlines, gestures, text, colors, gadgets and scheduling. Wouldn’t it be great if you could count on a great leader to get you out of the tough spots? Better yet, why not take a few lessons from one and become one in your own right?
With the launch of the new Star Trek film, James T. Kirk – Captain of the Starship Enterprise – has now become a timeless pop culture legend. The original Star Trek series wasn’t even very successful, but now we find Captain Kirk is still the man to turn to – even in the 21st Century.
Captain Kirk has all the qualities of a great presenter – and then some! He has the cold-blooded determination of a highly-trained military man, but also possesses enough charm to seduce even the most sophisticated Romulan princess. Kirk knows how to surround himself with a team of highly-talented specialists, but he never loses his grip on the reigns of leadership. Kirk can listen like a strong, loyal friend or he can deliver the most persuasive speeches with the conviction of a Shakespearean actor. In fact, at least one book about the Star Trek Universe described Kirk as "the quintessential officer, a man among men and a hero for the ages".
You don’t necessarily have to be a “hero for the ages” in order to knock out an audience with a great PowerPoint presentation, but taking a few tips from the good Captain can really make a difference when you step up to the mic!
Deeply Human
In developing Kirk, William Shatner created a multi-layered, deeply human character that proved to be highly compelling to television audiences. In order to balance the oddly emotionless Spock, Shatner tried to let his own warmth and humanity shine through to the show’s other characters as well as the viewers at home. Never forget to let yourself shine through when you address your audience. No matter how great your presentation is, if your audience can’t connect to you, they won’t connect to anything.
Open to the Universe
In the original, failed pilot for the series, the Enterprise was commanded by Captain Pike, a much more traditional, self-assured, dominant, male character. When Kirk was introduced, Shatner insisted on the good Captain’s capacity for wonder. In his interpretation of the character, it would be Kirk’s boundless curiosity that would lead him to become a space-faring Captain and Kirk’s awe in the face of his crew’s extraterrestrial discoveries would serve to facilitate the audience’s own sense of the boundless adventures to be found in “Space: the final frontier.” Always be open to your wildest notions and instincts – and those of your teammates. Innovators rarely do things the same way twice. Push your boundaries and make some wonderful discoveries of your own!
Make your Own Rules
In the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, we discover that Kirk cheated on a Star Fleet examination when he was presented with a problem known as “The Kobayashi Maru”. The ‘Maru is a trick question. It presents the would-be space officers with an un-winnable situation and forces them to make a choice that will ultimately serve as a measure of their character. Unwilling to lose, Kirk side-steps the thorny problem and becomes the only candidate to every “solve” the Kobayashi Maru. When you come up against a tough audience or a thorny problem in the middle of building your PowerPoint presentation, never give up! Even seemingly “impossible” problems have their solutions once you decide that losing isn’t an option.
Take some of these tips to heart and make your next pitch boldly go where no presentation has gone before!
