The Night My Career Rode on One Buoy

January 11, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

Ever Been Stuck Between Two Bad Options With Everyone Watching?

When people ask, “What was the closest your career came to ending?” my mind immediately goes to the Strait of Malacca.

We were heading home from deployment. I was Captain of the USS Nimitz—a 1,000-foot nuclear-powered carrier—transiting the Strait east from the Bay of Bengal to the South China Sea. The Strait of Malacca is a shipping superhighway: big cargo ships, small coastal vessels, ferries cutting across like they own the place. Think California freeway at rush hour, except these are one hundred thousand ton ships doing 25–30 knots and there are no brakes.

It was night. The ocean ahead looked like a floating disco—navigation lights everywhere. I stayed on the bridge the whole time. Too many decisions, too fast, to trust to anyone else.

Up on the bridge with me: the Strike Group Commander, the same Admiral who’d watched me defy the weather routing in the Indian Ocean monsoon. He stood quietly, observing. I was driving his flagship.

The Slow Mover and the Buoy

Just west of Singapore, side channels feed into the main traffic lane. Out of one of those channels, on our starboard side, a small white steamer chugged out at about 10 knots and settled on the right side of the channel, but in front of me. We were doing 25 knots.

To stay on schedule, I needed to pass him. But a couple of miles ahead sat an obstruction buoy in the middle of the channel. On the other side of that buoy: oncoming traffic. I couldn’t just swing wide. I’m boxed in—slow ship just on the right, buoy dead ahead, traffic beyond it just to the left.

If a ship hits another ship, it’s a collision.
If a ship hits a buoy, it’s an allision.
Both are career-enders.

I told my Conning Officer to line up the pelorus on the buoy to see if it was drifting left or right.

“It’s not drifting, Captain.”

Translation: we’re aimed right at it.

No Going Back

I added speed—27, 28, 30 knots—to get around the white ship and ease the Nimitz back toward the center of the channel. I stepped out to the starboard bridge wing and looked straight down at that little devil. The little ship was right under my auxiliary conning station, uncomfortably close.

“All right,” I said quietly to the OOD, “we’ve got some room. Another degree right.”

But the radar showed the same story: the buoy still sat on our nose.

Inside, I was thinking, I’ve blown this. I’m about to run the world’s most famous carrier into a buoy… with the Admiral standing five feet away.

Outside, I kept my hands calmly clasped behind my back, standing next to him like we were just enjoying the evening view.

Then I made the call:

“All ahead flank, one-three-five RPM.”

That’s full power—all 400,000 shaft horsepower.

We surged forward, sliding past the white ship. I’d already sent my First Lieutenant down to the port side sponson to visually track the buoy.

“It’s right on the bow, Captain.”

“Is it sliding to port yet?”

“No, sir. Still on the bow.”

I ordered another small course change.

“Okay, it’s coming down the port side… still clear… about fifty yards off.”

We missed the buoy by fifty yards at 30 knots in a narrow, crowded channel.

“First, did we hit it!? Did we hit it!?”

“No, sir. We’re clear.”

I whispered, “Thank you, Jesus.”

The Admiral slapped me on the back. “Good driving there, Captain,” he said, and strolled off the bridge.

I collapsed into my Captain’s chair and thought, That’s the last time I do that.

Choose Carefully, Commit Completely

Two big takeaways from that night:

Choose your course with your eyes open.
- I should’ve weighed the risk more carefully before deciding to pass the slow ship. The hazard was visible: oncoming traffic, tight channel, obstruction buoy. As leaders, we owe it to our people to think beyond the next five minutes.
Once you decide, commit with everything you’ve got.
- Half measures are often more dangerous than a risky decision fully executed. When you choose a path, your best chance of success is usually to go all in, adjusting only if truly new information demands it.

A few practical questions for leaders:

Am I seeing the full picture—or just the part I want to see?
Have I honestly considered the worst-case risk?
Once I decide, am I hesitating—or executing with confidence?
Do I second-guess myself publicly, or stand behind the call and adjust as we learn?

In leadership, you don’t get the luxury of staying in the meadow debating options while the bullets fly. You choose carefully—then commit completely.

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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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