Dr. Spock is a fascinating character.
Half-alien, half-human, he doesn’t really fit in anywhere. As Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise spaceship in Star Trek, Dr. Spock is the logical, analytical, and stoic right hand to Captain Kirk. His purpose – or ikigai – is “to boldly go where no man has gone before”. But surely that can’t be it? Life is as much about self-discovery as it is about worldly discoveries.
I wonder what Dr. Spock would have discovered about himself and others if he had engaged with a professional coach.
Outsider
As a descendant of the Vulcan alien race, Dr. Spock suppresses and discounts emotion, preferring to make decisions based on fact, not feel. But Vulcans can also mind-meld: an ability to share thoughts and memories with others through touch telepathy.
This, and the fact that he’s half-human, means Dr. Spock has a capacity for compassion. He expresses this when he sacrifices himself to save others, and it is clear when he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after losing his mother when his planet is destroyed.
As a mostly left-brained person with tendencies towards right-brain thinking through his love for music, poetry, and art, Dr. Spock could have grown into a whole-brain person with a deep sense of the legacy he wants to leave – with exploring strange new worlds as only part of it.
I can’t help thinking: What could a strong, curious, and intelligent leader like Dr. Spock have achieved if he had enrolled in something like the YB12 Classic Programme?
Tough questions
By asking self-reflecting questions and through deep self-analysis, I believe that Dr. Spock’s ikigai would have strengthened to include the crucial missing elements on his Wheel of Life: family and friendships other than those created on the Enterprise.
If he were my coaching client, I would ask questions like:
- You openly express your thoughts, but often with little consideration for other people’s feelings. How do you think this affects your colleagues on the Starship Enterprise?
- Can you explain Dr. McCoy’s sense of humour?
- I can already see that you have compassion for others. But how can you be more compassionate towards yourself?
In answering these questions, Dr. Spock may have developed an awareness of his own disregard for other people’s emotions. And in bringing awareness to this weakness, he may have been able to work on improving his emotional intelligence.
The result? Stronger, genuine connections with colleagues – and perhaps in his personal life too. He wouldn’t feel as if he needs to conform because he’d finally belong.
Perhaps Spock would use his Vulcan power to connect more deeply with other humans and silence his inner identity conflict? And maybe he’d learn to appreciate the power of words, self-talk, and assertive communication in mastering his own mind?
Your call
Which character from popular fiction do you think could benefit from coaching?
About the author
I’m Dorothée Oung, Neuroleader and coach to leading practitioners, motivational speakers, trainers, facilitators, coaches, and fellow leaders. My goal is to guide soon-to-be Neuroleaders through deliberate practices to achieve their professional goals.
