Wesley's Leadership Lesson
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Wesley Crusher sprints to intercept Troi and Riker, gripping a PADD like a lifeline, his urgency betraying the weight of command he’s unequipped to bear.
Wesley’s plea for advice exposes his paralysis beneath the surface of duty—his control fragments as he admits to being overwhelmed by the complexity of leading experts older than himself.
Troi cuts through Wesley’s hesitation by naming the unspoken barrier—his age—and forces him to confront the dissonance between his authority and his self-doubt.
Riker shatters Wesley’s illusions of leadership as emotional labor, declaring professionalism non-negotiable and affirming command means enforcing order—not seeking approval.
Wesley absorbs Riker’s blunt truth with a naked nod—his posture shifts from supplicant to soldier—acknowledging that command isn’t about comfort, but conviction.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Not physically present; represented by Wesley's deference and concern that seniority may complicate command dynamics.
Prixus is named by Wesley as the mineralogy and metallurgy pick; they are not present but function here as a referenced talent, a technical variable in Wesley's decision-making rather than an active participant.
- • Be selected for the mission (implied)
- • Apply specialist expertise to the survey (implied)
- • Assumed professionalism and competence by Wesley
- • Assumed willingness to follow mission orders
Absent but functionally significant—their presumed seniority contributes to Wesley's discomfort.
Alans is listed aloud as part of Wesley's volcanology and geo-mechanics team; the character is invoked as a technical asset and a factor in Wesley's concern about managing more experienced personnel.
- • Contribute geo-mechanics expertise to remedial plans (implied)
- • Fulfill mission role as a field specialist (implied)
- • Believed by Wesley to be the right technical fit
- • Assumed to be professional and reliable
Absent; his inferred seniority contributes to the interpersonal dilemma Wesley faces rather than being an active emotional participant.
Davies is mentioned as Wesley's preferred pick for geo-chemistry; although absent, his naming signals Wesley's effort to pair talent to task and also the hesitation Wesley feels about asking older colleagues to serve under him.
- • Provide geo-chemistry expertise to the survey (implied)
- • Complete assigned tasks efficiently (implied)
- • Perceived by Wesley as the best technical fit
- • Assumed to maintain professional discipline
Not present; represented as competent but senior, amplifying Wesley's insecurities about authority.
Hildebrant is named by Wesley (volcanology/geo-mechanics) and thereby occupies the role of a referenced technical resource—his presence in Wesley's list highlights Wesley's methodical selection criteria and the social friction he fears.
- • Apply volcanology expertise to the planetary problem (implied)
- • Work effectively within a survey team (implied)
- • Assumed by Wesley to be the correct technical choice
- • Presumed to act professionally under command
Anxious and insecure on the surface; intellectually confident about technical choices but internally doubting his authority and fearing social friction with older subordinates.
Wesley runs to catch up with Troi and Riker, clutching a PADD. He lists candidate specialists, hesitates mid‑list, admits awkwardness about age and compatibility, receives the corrective from Riker, nods, thanks them, and walks away—clearly shifted by the exchange.
- • Solicit advice to validate or refine his team selection
- • Reduce personal uncertainty about managing older, senior specialists
- • Technical competence should determine team composition
- • Age and personality differences may undermine his ability to lead
Authoritative and mildly impatient; he wants to catalyze action rather than indulge insecurity, using bluntness as a teaching tool.
Riker listens, then interrupts with a terse leadership lesson: that professional competence trumps age, and any personality conflicts are Wesley's responsibility to resolve—conveying pragmatic authority and reframing the problem as Wesley's command duty.
- • Eliminate Wesley's paralysis so he assumes command decisively
- • Reinforce the practical expectations of Starfleet command
- • Professionalism and duty outrank personal comfort
- • Leaders must resolve interpersonal issues, not avoid them
Supportive and quietly concerned; she wants Wesley to own his role but seeks to preserve his confidence rather than puncture it.
Troi walks with Riker, listens attentively to Wesley's request, asks a probing question about the candidates' ages to surface Wesley's insecurity, offers mild counseling when Riker's bluntness lands, and closes with a quiet confirmation that some emotional management is part of leadership.
- • Help Wesley recognize the emotional source of his hesitation
- • Provide a humane corrective so he grows without being shamed
- • Interpersonal factors matter in team effectiveness
- • Leadership requires both technical and emotional skills
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Wesley's geophysics PADD is gripped as he runs to catch Troi and Riker and functions as a physical anchor for his preparation—evidence of analysis and the data informing his choices. It signals competence and nervous energy, punctuating the moment he lists candidates and then falters.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
A narrow Enterprise corridor and intersection provides the transit stage for this private-yet-public mentorship moment. The corridor's passing anonymity allows a brief stopping point where candid instruction can be delivered without formal meeting—making the encounter feel incidental but consequential.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Wesley's paralysis over his inadequacy in the corridor leads directly to his untenable emotional state in Ten-Forward, where Riker’s lesson—'command is decisive action, not perfection'—is the necessary pivot point for his later command of the Ico-spectrogram. His arc is defined by this transition from fear to resolve."
Key Dialogue
"WESLEY: Hi, may I walk with you? I need a little advice."
"TROI: But they're all older than you?"
"RIKER: Completely irrelevant. They're professionals. And if there are personality conflicts, you resolve them. You're in charge."