The Most Important Word You Can Say Today

October 27, 2025 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

The Quickest Way to Build Trust – and Performance

Let Them Know You Care

On a crisp Nevada morning at NAS Fallon, I was crossing the ramp to my F-14 when two troubleshooters headed toward the jet. I recognized one of them—Petty Officer Edwards. His wife was in the hospital in San Diego.

“Petty Officer Edwards!” I called.

He looked down, angled away, and finally stopped. “Skipper… you know my name?”

“Of course. You work for me.”

Then he said the line that changed how I led: “If you know my name, it means I’m in trouble.”

That moment crystallized a discovery I made when I took command of the Tomcatters of VF-31: names signal value. Officers’ names I already knew. Enlisted sailors—300 of the hardest-working people in every kind of weather—deserved the same recognition. If I didn’t know them, how could they believe their sacrifices mattered to me?

I imagined a kitchen-table moment at the Base Exchange: a sailor introduces me to his wife and child, and I can’t say his name. What conclusion would that family reach about staying Navy? Career decisions aren’t made in conference rooms; they’re made at kitchen tables. I refused to let that scene become reality.

So I made a choice: learn every name—and use it. Hand on the shoulder, eye contact, “Petty Officer Smith—how are Sally and Susie?” The effect? Word spread through the squadron, to the Ombudsman, to spouses, and back to Kelly: The Skipper knows people’s names. Translation: The Skipper cares.

Later as XO of USS Carl Vinson (3,000 sailors), I turned caring into action. I’d walk into the galley: “Petty Officer Jones, got a paper hat? I want to serve the crew.” I would go into AIMD (Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department) and ask: “McPherson, how are the equipment checks?” It wasn’t theater. It was service—showing that leadership isn’t privilege; it’s responsibility.

On USS Sacramento, I met a watch stander who said, “People call me OG.” I asked his full name. “Ogboghodo.” Nigerian by birth, American sailor by choice. “I’m going to call you Petty Officer Ogboghodo,” I said, “because names matter.” Months later, a fuel-transfer valve failed—fire in the engine room. Ogboghodo fought it first, soaked head to toe in jet fuel, and helped save the ship. When the fire was out, I pinned a Navy Achievement Medal on his chest on the spot and told the entire crew his full name. Respect is contagious.

Names aren’t a trick; they’re a truth: people are not roles—they’re souls. When leaders speak to identity, performance follows.

Leadership Lesson: Let Them Know You Care

Decide first. “I’m bad with names” is a cop-out. Choose to learn them.

Attach story to name. Family, shop, hobby, dream—stories stick better than faces alone.

Practice in the open. Walk around. Greet by name. Serve beside them.

Own the miss. If you forget, say: “I knew your name once—remind me?” Then repeat it back.

Use full names, said correctly. Ask for pronunciation. Use the name they prefer. Dignity rises; so does morale.

Why it works: Names create belonging. Belonging unlocks voice. Voice fuels innovation, initiative, and endurance. When people are known, they give more—because now it’s our mission, not the mission.

Organizations aren’t products or platforms. They are people. Learn their names. Let them know you care. And watch your team move from compliance to commitment.

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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
Bestselling Author | Navy Admiral | Fighter Pilot | Leadership Coach

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