I recently read a great article, written by Alex Knapp, entitled Five Leadership Lessons From James T. Kirk.

It was one of those writings that places a unique set of ideas within an intuitive framework that leaves the reader thinking to themselves..."of course". Being a bit of a closet Trekkie myself, I focused on the lessons that Mr. Knapp had expounded upon and recalled each episode that had written them unknowingly in my mind. It was when my thoughts drifted into the follow-on movies that it occurred to me that there was one more lesson I had applied to my life without full realization that it could be traced back to Captain Kirk. I am speaking of the Kobayashi Maru test. For those of you deprived of the full life provided by being a purveyor of Star Trek lore, let me quickly summarize what the Kobayashi Maru test is. The Urban Dictionary defines it as.... A no-win situation caused by a set of rules that can only be won by changing the rules, in effect, cheating. This term comes from the name of a small ship in distress in a scenario shown in a Star Trek movie. According to the film, the scenario is featured in a training simulator for students attempting to become ship's captains. They receive a distress signal from the Kobayashi Maru and can either attempt to rescue it and be destroyed by enemy forces or leave it and let it be destroyed. James T. Kirk, according to the film, is the only person to have won the scenario--by reprogramming the simulator. Kobayashi Maru, loosely translated, means "Little wooden ship." In the scene where the test is discussed, Kirk emphatically states, "I don't believe in the no-win scenario..". Therein lies the lesson. While the characters around him seem taken back by this proclamation, I not only agree with him, but have that same "of course" reaction as I mentioned before. Why should we accept the no-win situation? In the minds (read hearts) of true leaders, it does not exist. Now, let's take this out of the realm of movie-land and apply it to business. In my career, I have way too often seen people, faced with a difficult challenge, throw up their arms and declare it unwinnable. I can honestly say that my greatest success has come by thinking just the opposite. It is the most difficult challenges that allow for the greatest amount of creative thinking. And, given a world of possibilities, much like Kirk we can figure a way to beat the no-win scenario. There are countless examples of great leaders turning a success out of a no-win situation. One of the more recent examples that jump to my mind is Ford. In 2005 the popular thought was that American car companies were doomed to the fate of the dinosaurs. They would fail because of the "no-win" situation they were facing. They trailed in quality and technology to their foreign competitors. Their costs were already higher than their competitors and to catch up, they would have to spend even more money and drive their costs up even further. And, everyone "knew" the unions would never cooperate by giving concessions. After all, one of the facts of the Auto Industry was that Union Labor and Management were mortal enemies who mistrusted each other. It was obviously a no-win situation. Now some of these mainstays of American industry immediately threw up their arms, accepted defeat, and started to look for a "white knight" to save them. In 2006, both GM and Chrysler sought Chapter 11bankruptcy protection and accepted a federal government bailout. Ford, while they borrowed and mortgaged as much as they could, did not see it as a no-win situation. Their

newly appointed President and CEO, Alan Mulally, saw the challenge as a way to be outstandingly creative. There are fabulous accounts of this turnaround that detail what transpired more completely than I am afforded room to do here. Let it suffice to say that Mulally applied a singular focus to Ford that went straight into the face of all the "facts" that had convinced his contemporaries that it was a no-win situation. Among other things, he recognized the Union as a key to the turnaround and successfully engaged them in the solution. He did not believe in the no-win scenario. And, as of this writing, Ford is being emulated by GM, among others, as the model for singular focus on success. Not wanting to become complacent, Ford's new slogan is "Go Farther". As hard as it is to believe today, Apple was within 3 months of running out of money and having to declare bankruptcy about 15 years ago. They had made a number of decisions that had brought what was once a promising computer company to the brink of disaster. At the time, Michael Dell's suggested solution; shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders. Re-enter Steve Jobs after a 10+ year hiatus. Mr. Jobs did not see things the same as Mr. Dell. He recognized the situation as bleak, understood it to be a monumental challenge, but consciously or not did not believe in the no-win scenario. He created alliances that did not exist before, he removed some that did, and strengthened some (e.g. Microsoft) that went 180 degrees against what his contemporaries thought possible. I could not begin to do justice to the detail that was embodied in his effort. But you need know none of that to see where his determination has lead Apple today. I would site Captain Chesley Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who landed his crippled passenger plane on New Yorks Hudson River in 2009. Engines gone, no landing site in reach, he was truly faced with his Kobayashi Maru. But as has been well chronicled, his refusal to accept a no-win scenario brought him the vision to land as best he could on the River. And the list could continue with the countless numbers of those who faced their challenges, refused to believe there was no solution, and ultimately succeeded. So how does one handle the no-win scenario? What truly separates the Ford's from the Chrysler's? How does one obtain that leadership quality that puts them in the league with Kirk? I believe there are several definable steps that any of us can utilize to face and defeat our Kobayahi Maru tests. Step one is recognition. Set a mental alarm to recognize when you are being confronted with the test. Now this may seem intuitive, even juvenile. But how many times a day do we find ourselves saying something to the effect "you can't do that..." or "that's not possible...". Not every situation rises to the necessary significance level, but if you recognize the warning signals, you will start to view the appropriate challenges as opportunities. When you recognize that the test is in front of you, stop, relax, and think. When the human mind is forced to react quickly and in a panic, it tends to focus on and go to what it knows. If we've agreed that these situations are unwinnable on the surface than we must agree that it will take more than surface thinking to prove that we can win. Depending on the circumstances, the thinking time is not quantitative rather qualitative. You need to act with a sense of urgency, not

insanity. On occasion you are not allowed a lot of time (Captain Sullenberger), but calm and controlled thought can derive a solution in amazingly short order. During this time of exploration of possibilities, eliminate limiting factors such as "that hasn't been invented yet", "no one has ever done that", etc. etc. Unless it defies the rules of Physics, Time, or the Universe, don't rule it out. Given enough time and money, just about anything is possible. While brainstorming do not confuse possible with practical. Practical comes later if necessary. Find the best and brightest around you and enlist their help. Don't get hung up on titles or just look to those that you've surrounded yourself with. Mulally turned to the Union as a strategic partner in Ford's turnaround. Common wisdom at the time would have dictated that it was folly to do so. Play the solutions out in your mind. Don't be afraid of proving them useless. As the character Sherlock Holmes was quoted, when you've eliminated all other possibilities, whatever is left, no matter how improbable, is the solution. Cull them out. Poke holes in them. Bang on them with a big stick. Whatever survives that is most likely your solution. Take a water pitcher. Fill it with 50% confidence, 30% determination, 15% resolve, and 5% attitude, mix it thoroughly and drink it down. Where logic and experience fail, shear cocky determination will carry you forward. And finally, practice before you're faced with the test. If you have young children, you're set. If not, go borrow some. Put on some play clothes (you remember what those are), sit down and watch the genius of a small child at play. You will seldom see them confronted with a challenge that they don't have an answer to. Accidentally lock the door as you step outside? No Problem! That's why they put lattice work next to the window that's unlocked. Fly to the ground to stop the bad guys? No problem! That's what bath towels strung on like capes are made for. They don't get hung up on the limitations that they will be taught when they go to school and start learning. They don't know that the lattice work won't hold their weight. They don't know that Super Heroes don't really exist in the adult world. They look at the objective, weigh their options, and do it. If you don't believe me, ask any parent to tell you a story about what their child got into after they, the parent, had effectively set up the no-win scenario by "child-proofing" their house. Was Kirk wrong in not believing in the no-win scenario? Did he really "cheat the test" or did he simply devise a solution that no one before him had thought of. Ask yourself how you want to run your life. Do you want to be the one who proudly states the fact that it is impossible for man to fly because he has no wings. Or do you want to be the one that everyone looks up to as you soar above them because you didn't accept that being born without wings meant you could never fly.