March 22, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)
The fastest way to show someone they matter.
How can a simple game of names revolutionize your leadership?
I was walking across the ramp at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, heading toward my F-14 for the morning sortie. It was one of those crisp Nevada mornings—the air cool and clean.
About a hundred yards ahead of me, two squadron troubleshooters were walking toward the jet to support the launch. As they got closer, I recognized one of them.
“Petty Officer Edwards!” I called out.
He glanced up, looked surprised, then angled away slightly—almost like he hoped to avoid the conversation.
So I called again.
“Petty Officer Edwards!”
He stopped and looked at me.
“Skipper… you know my name?”
I laughed.
“Well, of course I know your name. You work for me.”
He shook his head and said something I’ll never forget:
“You’re not supposed to know my name. If you know my name, that means I’m in trouble!”
That moment revealed something important.
People often expect leaders to notice them only when something goes wrong.
But leadership changes when people know you see them when things are going right.
When I took command of Fighter Squadron 31 in 1997, I led about 300 people. I knew every officer’s name—but I realized something uncomfortable.
I didn’t know the enlisted sailors nearly as well.
That bothered me.
These were the men and women doing the hardest work—day and night, in heat, cold, and bad weather—to keep our aircraft flying. If anyone deserved to be known by their leader, it was them.
So I made a decision.
I would learn every name in the squadron.
Why?
Because I imagined a situation that I refused to let happen.
Picture this: I’m walking through the Base Exchange. One of my sailors approaches me with his wife and young child.
“Sir, I’d like you to meet my family.”
He clearly works for me. But what if I don’t know his name?
I could fake it—smile, shake hands, talk to the child—but never once say his name.
As they walk away, I imagine his wife saying:
“You work for that guy every day. You miss holidays and birthdays. And he doesn’t even know who you are?”
Career decisions are rarely made in the conference room.
They’re made at the kitchen table.
I wasn’t going to let that happen.
From then on, whenever I saw someone who worked for me, I made a point to greet them by name.
“Petty Officer Smith—how are you?”
Knowing their name led to more: what shop they worked in, what system they maintained, what role they played in keeping the squadron flying.
And something remarkable happened.
When a sailor introduced me to their spouse at the Base Exchange and I greeted them by name, their spouse would often say:
“Wow—the Skipper knows who you are.”
That moment mattered.
When you’re the commanding officer, the leadership gap between you and junior personnel is enormous. When you know someone’s name across that gap, the impact is magnified.
It sends a simple message to them:
You matter.
That message spreads.
Word eventually reached the squadron ombudsman: “The Skipper knows everyone’s names.”
That story traveled through the squadron, through families, and even back to my wife.
If something as simple as learning names built that level of trust, my job as commanding officer had just gotten a lot easier.
Here’s what happens when leaders learn names:
• People feel valued as individuals.
• Trust grows quickly.
• Communication becomes more open.
• Morale improves.
• Engagement and performance rise.
Recognition creates connection.
And connection builds teams.
Here’s the bottom line:
Knowing someone’s name is one of the simplest and most powerful acts of leadership.
It tells people they are seen.
It tells them they matter.
And it reminds them they are part of something important.
A name may seem small.
But when a leader remembers it, the impact is enormous.
Want more powerful leadership lessons from Mike?
- Begin leading from the heart: Order Learn How to Lead to Win | The Manazir Maxims | Leadership Study Guide for Manazir Maxims
- Book Mike to Speak or for 1:1 Executive Coaching
P.S. Know someone trying to build up their people and lead with heart? Forward this to them. It might be the encouragement they need to keep going.
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Let’s lead to win together,
Mike Manazir
Retired Navy Rear Admiral | Bestselling Author | Keynote Speaker | Executive Coach