Let’s be honest – the study of strategy can, at times, be a tedious thing. For those of us who haven’t dedicated their lives and/or careers to understanding the detailed workings, intricate interplay and parlance of the strategic realm it can be a downright drag. But what if you could comprehend it all via an amazing space opera? What if the Empire, the Rebellion, the Romulans, the Klingons, the Federation, the Spice Trade and the Apes of a futuristic Earth all had something to teach you about strategy? What if the Federation could make conversations about discrimination and diversity much easier to discuss in a learning situation? Jon Klug and Steve Leonard so firmly believed that science fiction offers both a mirror and a possible guidebook for students of strategy and leadership that they gathered up a bunch of friends and colleagues and they put a book together on the topic. Jon and Steve join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss To Boldly Go: Leadership, Strategy, and Conflict in the 21st Century and Beyond. The three of them examine the genesis of the project, what they’ve learned along the way and they set out to answer the age old questions Kirk or Picard? Khan or Q? Buck or Flash? The Empire or The First Order?
FACT CHECK – Jon Klug mentions that Dino De Laurentiis owned the rights to Star Wars. What Jon was trying to convey was that De Laurentiis owned the rights to Flash Gordon, and he refused to sell them to George Lucas who had hopes to create a new Flash Gordon movie. Instead Lucas was forced to create a little project he eventually called Star Wars.
When asked why he often tackled serious social and political issues in the fantastical stories of his series, The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling, who struggles with sponsors over political content became legendary, famously said he could have aliens say things that Democrats and Republicans couldn’t.
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Jonathan Klug is a Colonel in the U.S. Army, a faculty member in the Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations at the U.S. Army War College and an Associate Editor with WAR ROOM.
Steve Leonard is Senior Assistant Dean at the University Of Kansas School Of Business, as well as a senior fellow at the Modern War Institute He is the author, co-author or editor of 5 books and also a prolific military cartoonist.
Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.
Photo Description: Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon, Charles Middleton as Emperor Ming from the serial movie Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. Interestingly this is one of the few pieces of Flash Gordon media that is in the public domain. When Dino DeLaurentiss refused to sell the rights to Flash Gordon to George Lucas it sent Lucas on the path that would become the Star Wars universe. Additionally Buster Crabbe played both Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers in the ’30s and 40’s serials and movies.
Photo Credit: Screen capture from Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. Watch the full serial here.