EVER.
This kind of reminds me of how I read something recently in a great book called The Last Lecture by author Randy Pausch about the leadership style of Captain Kirk. Obviously, I (along with Randy Pausch) find that Kirk is the best captain of the Starship Enterprise, as he has the best style of leadership, and one certainly applicable to our military leaders today.
Kirk's certainly not the most brilliant technical expert on the ship--he has Scotty, Bones and Spock to deal with the majority of the small details. However, he, as a leader, has to have a mission-focus. He has to understand the underlying social dynamics of the crew, understand how to conquer the minds of his enemies (beaming some tribbles into a ship often works wonders) and must understand the greater socio-political aspects of whatever culture or situation he is interacting with. This last aspect not only leads to mission success in nearly every episode, but also results in him hooking up on nearly every single planet. Except that time he fought the guy in the Godzilla suit, but I digress.
Randy Pausch also further talks about his encounter with William Shatner in one chapter of "The Last Lecture". Pausch, diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a few months to live, gets to meet William Shatner, who later sends him a signed picture of him as Captain Kirk, with the words, "I don't believe in the no-win scenario--keep fighting, William Shatner".
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