Aside from Kirk and Spock, when do we get a glimpse of the rest of the senior staff's command styles? What do you notice?
Command style of 1701's senior staff
- Thread starter Laura Cynthia Chambers
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Scotty in "Friday's Child", "A Taste of Armageddon", and "Bread and Circuses". His style is to work within the rules or orders he's given, while looking for the best way to use his freedom to accomplish the goal. I Armageddon he proceeds with Gen.. Order 24 but lets Eminiar know each step of the way, thus allowing them opportunities to surrender and comply or negotiate before the hour is up. In Circuses he knows they cannot directly violate the Prime Directive, so finds a way to assist the Landing Party while still appearing hands off by causing the power outage. In Friday's Child he stop chasing phantom distress calls when he realizes he's being duped, but only after responding to the initial call for help.
Scotty has a command style that uses ingenuity.
Scotty has a command style that uses ingenuity.
The consummate miracle worker.
Never have so many redshirts saved Kirk's bacon than in FRIDAY'S CHILD, thanks to Scotty. Almost a dozen.
It would be rather silly to not start with Scotty. To say he's not the senior staffer who's pulled off more miracles for ship and crew would be a blunder just as bad as not knowing the response to Queen to Queen's Level Three. 
To my memory, the officer who never actually sat in the chair onscreen but had the most interesting place in the chain of command is Bones. He was the heart and soul of the three and had a lot of poignant, if quirky, wisdom to share about leadership and following one's conscience. While he didn't make a habit of it, I wouldn't call McCoy shy in reminding superiors that even they must meet certain criteria to command a starship. I can recall Crusher and Bashir making references, but of any of them, McCoy seems to me like the one who would actually do the 'big no-going-back red-button thing' to order their CO off duty.
I hope this is somewhat close to the original thread intention, since McCoy didn't actually assume command on screen. However, I've always been interested in that leadership dynamic and his approach to it. Actually, in all the ways that 60s-era crew interacted both with and as leaders. For context though, I have components of organizational psychology in my real life work purview - so I get interested in these things in odd ways.
To my memory, the officer who never actually sat in the chair onscreen but had the most interesting place in the chain of command is Bones. He was the heart and soul of the three and had a lot of poignant, if quirky, wisdom to share about leadership and following one's conscience. While he didn't make a habit of it, I wouldn't call McCoy shy in reminding superiors that even they must meet certain criteria to command a starship. I can recall Crusher and Bashir making references, but of any of them, McCoy seems to me like the one who would actually do the 'big no-going-back red-button thing' to order their CO off duty.
I hope this is somewhat close to the original thread intention, since McCoy didn't actually assume command on screen. However, I've always been interested in that leadership dynamic and his approach to it. Actually, in all the ways that 60s-era crew interacted both with and as leaders. For context though, I have components of organizational psychology in my real life work purview - so I get interested in these things in odd ways.
Only in a tie-in novel, but yes, he had the power of medical veto and role of captain's conscience.
And I wasn't just referring to commanding the ship (captain's chair), but command over subordinates in one's department as well.
Although at least one doctor did assume command, McCoy in TOS would not be expected to do so except in extra-full-blown medical emergencies. He's not truly in the direct chain, BUT he can declare Captains or other officers unfit for duty. That ironically makes him the most powerful person on the ship when the Kirky types make major missteps.....and nobody sticks it to Kirk like McCoy.
TMP makes Scotty rarther obsolete when Spock swiftly fixes the engines after Scotty cannot.
But at least Scotty can wake up properly without extra slaps.
It's also a weakness, if you think about it. Perhaps the ship's staff should have a small council to prevent one person from seizing power wrongly.
McCoy and Chapel were more of a tandem than leader/follower.
McCoy and Chapel were more of a tandem than leader/follower.
Interesting concept. I'd imagine the majority of those instances would be handled through the ship's Counsellor and/or the JAG process. Not "JAG" like a trial, but more like JAG resources similar to an arbitrator in a labour dispute.
For the more, hmmm, let's call them flashier situations
it's got to be a case of act first and ask questions later. (And pray you're not the one with a court martial on the other end of that question asking...eek!)I'm curious if something like a ship's council has ever been used on a military/quasi-military vessel and if so what the outcomes have been?
I'll say something for my medical officers again.
Bones mentored Chapel and M'Benga (both were MDs); Crusher seemed to be a mentor of sorts to Dr. Selar and Ensign/Lt. Ogawa; Phlox had Cutler, heck, even the EMH had Kes and Tom Paris. As far as leadership track records go, I think they've got a pretty good one for nurturing talent and sending those folks out on their own. It's not in-the-chair time, but certainly indicative of a healthy command style!Scotty fixed the engines. All Spock did was help with the math so they could get it done quicker.
Now I'm curious; are there any medical pairs who are leader/follower?
You see Sulu exercising command in the episode with the Organians and again in Arena, when combatting the Gorn. Both times he acts with confidence and competence, taking orders from the captain and anguishing over not being able to help/support the captain and landing party more. In the end, he does as he's ordered, protects the Enterprise, and things work out well for all of them.
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