Kirk’s Advice to Picard: “Don’t Let Them Promote You”
In Star Trek: Generations, Captain James T. Kirk’s sage advice to Captain Jean-Luc Picard is “Don’t let them promote you.” Kirk’s reasoning is based on his own experiences as a Starfleet Admiral, which he found frustrating and felt hindered his ability to make a difference. Kirk believes that by staying a captain, an individual can make a bigger impact and have more control over their work.
This advice seems to have had a lasting impact on Picard, who remains a captain for the better part of a decade, despite having the opportunity to take on an admiral’s role. Picard’s decision to stay a captain indicates that he values the sense of autonomy and control that comes with being in command of a starship.
However, this advice is not universally applicable, as evidenced by the example of Admiral Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy. As the leader of the USS Dauntless and USS Voyager-A, Janeway proves that being an admiral does not necessarily mean being removed from the bridge of a starship. In fact, her command challenges the idea that an admiral is limited to desk duty and instead shows that they can be effective leaders who make a difference from the bridge of a starship.
The different perspectives on being an admiral highlight that the role can mean different things to different people. For Janeway, being an admiral allowed her to lead from the front and make decisions that had a direct impact on her crew and the success of her mission. For Picard, being an admiral meant taking on a more administrative role that limited his ability to make a difference in the same way that he could as a captain.
Ultimately, Kirk’s advice may have been more relevant to his own experiences, but it is not a one-size-fits-all solution for every Starfleet captain. While it is true that being a captain can provide a sense of autonomy and control, being an admiral can also be a vital role that allows leaders to make a positive impact in new and different ways.