While Captain Kirk represents an extraverted attitude in full display, there are moments when he seems to be a wee bit introverted. This usually occurs when he is enthralled with a woman, when reflecting on and often mourning the loss of important people in his life, or when, on rare occasions) he is unsure what to do. We mostly see the extraverted Captain, appropriately attired in Red, finding himself in trouble when taking his extraversion to the extreme, and when failing to take into account relevant information (usually coming from Spock). Extraverted Ruby Reds in the real world would find it valuable to take notes while watching several Star Trek episodes. Actually, note-taking would itself be something of a breakthrough for many extraverted Ruby Reds.
This leaves us with the often passionate “Bones.” Dr. McCoy is clearly representative of the introverted Azure Blue’s emphasis on caring and the emotional life of those with whom an Azure Blue affiliates. There is less of the extraverted Azure Blue in Dr. McCoy. He doesn’t seem to spend a lot of time thinking about or advocating one or more specific missions for his starship. As a “country doctor,” he is mostly in the business of treating the wounded, advocating for the welfare of the Starship crew, being a caring colleague to Captain Kirk, and a worthy adversary (and ultimately devoted friend) to the Golden Yellow Spock.
It seems that all three interpersonal preferences and both extraversion and introversion are required in operating the Starship Enterprise, just as they are needed in operating all contemporary organizations and societies. We suspect our current world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, turbulence, and contradiction (VUCA-Plus) (Bergquist, 2026) is ultimately just as challenging as the “strange new worlds” to which the Starship Enterprise is traveling. All hands (and all preferences and attitudes) need to be “on deck” for the mid-21st-century journey, just as all hands were needed in Oz and on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
Reiterating the Important Messages
We suggest that the Wizard of Oz and Star Trek not only offer charming examples of the three primary interpersonal perspectives and Jung’s personality-based attitudes. Both of these modern-day myths reiterated two important messages. First, we need to appreciate the strengths that we already have as people with a Ruby Red, Azure Blue, or Golden Yellow preference. We can be of great value to any team, organization, or society when engaged in practices aligned with one of these preferences. Each interpersonal preference is to be appreciated and engaged in a system where we serve as a leader or participant. Both an extraverted and introverted attitude yield important perspectives and practices in any challenged system. We should not have to wait until the Wizard or Good Witch appreciates (acknowledges and honors) our strengths—and the strength of people with whom we work.
The second important message to reiterate is revealed in the Star Trek narratives. Our strengths are wonderful when used in an appropriate manner, at the right time, and usually in conjunction with the strengths found among other members of our organization. We tend to get in trouble not from engagement of our weaknesses, but rather from the excessive or inappropriate use of our strengths. We are articulate but can sometimes dominate a conversation. We are knowledgeable but can be arrogant and stubborn at times when engaged in problem-solving. We are kind and considerate; however, other people can easily take advantage of this goodwill.
This second message is particularly important to keep in mind when we are anxious and threatened. There may be many “alien” forces operating on our own planet earth. There are evil witches in our world. The temptation for us to regress to an extreme (and often infantile) version of our strength is great when we are afraid. The courage of our Lion, the heart of our Tin Man, and the wisdom of our Scarecrow should be engaged, so that we become collaborative and appreciative of those who can assist us in our own journey down the Yellow Brick Road. The introverted caring of “Bones” should be engaged to balance off the precipitous actions of the captain. Our journey to new worlds should include a strong dose of James Kirk’s extraverted courage along with an equally strong dose of Spock’s introverted rationality. Brought together, these combinations of preferences and attitudes can produce a rainbow of opportunities and enriching interactions.
The Rainbow of Integration and Collaboration
Up to this point, we have concentrated on extraversion and introversion as related to the “pure” versions of each interpersonal preference. We have suggested that each of these preferences, at its extreme, will often be aligned with Introversion. The introverted person stands alone, wanting to assert their own ideas (Ruby Red), inspire with their own vision (Azure Blue), or sit back in order to collect and analyze information from the vantage point of seeming “objectivity” (Golden Yellow).
We propose that extraversion can also produce extreme forms of Ruby Red, Azure Blue, and Golden Yellow preferences. Standing in front of the tent, seeking to inspire and guide those who are looking for our leadership, we may begin to believe our own version of reality, even though this version was first meant mostly to gain the allegiance of our troop. This is a potential flaw of extraverted Golden Yellow. There is also the temptation to portray a future that is highly desirable but not feasible. “I have a dream.” However, I have no idea how to realize this dream. This is the potential flaw of extraverted Azure Blue. Finally, we can simply invite our troops to “march forward” without much of an idea where we are marching. “Give me some men who are stout-hearted men,” and I will lead them, as an extreme extraverted Ruby Red, to disaster, defeat, and even death.
What about those extraverts who blend several styles or want to “mix it up” with other people? These women and men seek to engage in collaborative leadership, generating ideas, intentions, and information through discussion and dialogue. And what about those extraverts who choose to embrace all three interpersonal preferences? We might inquire as well about those introverts who seek, in a quiet manner, to find a way in which to integrate all three preferences. In bringing about an exceptional and highly productive integration, these introverts might offer that one piece of advice, that one observation about the team’s process, or that one word of support for an “outlier” on the team with a great, innovative idea.
We assign the full color spectrum—the Rainbow—to all these people, extraverted or introverted. The rainbow, in nature, requires collaboration among three natural elements and ultimately a beautiful integration of these elements. Specifically, a rainbow is created when there is sufficient heat (Ruby Red), light (Golden Yellow), and sky (Azure Blue). This, however, is not enough. There must be a precipitating (excuse the pun) event. A convening challenge, if you will. This event is the falling of rain. When the challenge is being met, the rainbow appears. It is cause for our appreciation regarding the wonders of nature—and the effective extraverted or introverted offering of an integrative perspective or practice.
