The Two Words That Can Change a Career

October 20, 2025 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

Why a Simple “Thank You” Can Transform Results

As I approached my first squadron command, one question kept nagging me: Why is morale important—beyond people being “happy”? In uniform, you can order tasks. But Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 511 §5947 makes it plain: a Commanding Officer must “promote and safeguard the morale, the physical well-being, and the general welfare” of the people under his or her charge.

That law reframed my role. From then on, every command name tag of mine included a second line: Morale Officer. Folks would smirk, assuming “Fun Officer.” Not even close. High morale isn’t about parties. It’s about results: speed, discipline, innovation—and the will to push through hard things.

What Morale Really Does
When morale is high, esprit de corps is obvious. Uniforms are sharp. Standards rise. People speak up, ask why, and offer better ways. They own outcomes because they feel seen. I’ve watched the same dynamic in a Fortune 100 setting: give a tough assignment to a low-morale team and you’ll get compliance at best—or quiet resistance at worst. Give it to a high-morale team and you’ll get initiative, creativity, and pride of performance.

How do you build that? Value each person—daily. Learn names and stories. Care about spouses, kids, and life outside the wire. As Maya Angelou said, people will forget what you said and did, but they won’t forget how you made them feel. The feeling you’re aiming for is dignity plus standards: “You matter—and what we do here matters.”

The XO, the Brick, and the Toothbrush
Aboard USS Carl Vinson in 2001, I was doing an XO walkthrough—the kind that made department heads nervous. I stepped into a forward passageway just below the flight deck: filthy, scarred by grease and grime. On hands and knees, a young sailor was using a toothbrush to clean wax residue from the seam where deck met bulkhead.

I keyed my radio—the “brick”—for the Supply Officer. While waiting, I rested a hand on the sailor’s shoulder. He snapped to attention, bracing for impact. Instead, I said, “Thank you for doing this. It’s a hard space to keep clean, and your detail work matters. If no one did what you’re doing, this compartment would stay filthy.”

I could have blasted him for the state of the space. I chose to honor the effort I saw. Then, when SuppO arrived, we addressed the cleanliness standards and ownership—clearly and directly. Two moves, one message: People first. Standards always.

That single interaction would color the sailor’s view of leadership—and of himself. He’d either carry the shame of being chewed out by the #2 on a ship of 5,000…or the dignity of a “thank you” spoken in front of God and grease. Which one do you think builds a reenlistment-worthy Navy—and a high-performing team?

Leadership Lesson: Lift Your People Up

Catch them doing something right. Recognition fuels the next right action.

Pair praise with clear standards. Appreciation + accountability beats either alone.

Coach with calm confidence. Like an LSO (Landing Signal Officer) on a tough night recovery—steady voice, small corrections, then a candid debrief once they’re safe aboard.

Make dignity routine. The fastest way to raise morale is to raise respect. People who feel valued raise their own standards.

Why this works:

You make someone’s day—and often their trajectory.
Peers notice, and respect becomes contagious.
Morale climbs, innovation follows, and results improve.
You look in the mirror and see a leader who builds, not breaks.

High morale isn’t a perk. It’s a performance system. Lift your people up—look for what they’re doing right—and watch your team outpace the problem, the timeline, and the competition.

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P.S.

If this message stirred something in you—share it. Forward it to a friend, colleague, or your leadership team. Better yet—let’s talk.

Let’s raise up a generation of leaders who know how to Lead to Win.

Mike Manazir
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Author of Learn How to Lead to Win

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