A speaker in the ongoing The Voices of Experience Series used the sci-fi series “Star Trek” as a metaphor for effective leadership.

Titled “Star Trek 2007: Leadership on the Enterprise with a Whole New Crew,” the presentation was given last Friday at the Cable Center.

Stephanie Allen, president of Athena Group and chairman of Women’s Vision Foundation, used “Star Trek” to illustrate the leadership needed in today’s workplace and outlined the leadership principles necessary to succeed in the evolving workplace.

The five leadership principles Allen listed are: building and sustaining a vibrant community, unite employees to take action toward a clear and inspiring vision, demonstrate and inspire citizenship and stewardship, lead with wisdom from head, heart and gut, and align business goals and practices with ethics and values.

“Authentic leadership emerges from your life story,” said Allen.

Allen believes that the current corporate leadership in America may not understand how to lead new generations in the workplace and that there are vast differences between old and new generations.

“The older generation lives to work,” explained Allen. “The younger generation works to live.”

According to Allen, the best leaders are those who create strong communities for and take care of those that must follow them, just as the captains of the Starship Enterprise did, especially in the second series, “Star Trek: The New Generation,” which starred Patrick Stewart.

The Voices of Experience Series is offered through the Daniels College of Business.

The events are meant to help develop “new insights, fresh perspective and a heightened resolve to examine the decisions you make every day, in every area of your professional and personal life,” according to the DCB Web site.

The series began last September and will continue through May. The events are free.

The next speakers are DU Chancellor Emeritus Daniel L. Ritchie and Donald Seawell, former chairman and CEO of the Denver Performing Arts Center, who will speak on Friday, March 30 from 1-3 p.m. at the Cable Center.