March 1, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) The most powerful leadership moments don’t feel important at the time Life has a way of surprising us with the most unexpected connections. Sometimes, what feels like a passing moment—a casual conversation, a simple question—becomes a turning point only Providence could have orchestrated. I learned that … Read more
February 22, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) Fear Vanished the Moment Trust Took Its Place Trust is everything. I learned that lesson at 14,000 feet over the Raeford, North Carolina, drop zone in the spring of 1994. I was aboard a Fokker F100, preparing for my first free-fall jump with the U.S. Army … Read more
February 15, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) The Cost of Being Gone, and the Wisdom of Being Present I spent more than eight years of my life at sea. That number doesn’t include workups—the short, disruptive periods between deployments that are often worse than being gone for six months straight. Over a thirty-six-year … Read more
February 8, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) Leadership isn’t about control- it’s about trust Some teams need direction. Others need space. After my tour on Nimitz, the Navy selected me for flag rank—Rear Admiral, lower half. My first assignment was a “baby flag job” at the Pentagon, managing strike aircraft requirements across the … Read more
February 1, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) The Hardest Leadership Calls Aren’t Written in the Rulebook When people ask me about the hardest leadership decisions that I had to make, my mind goes straight to a quiet night on the bridge of USS Nimitz. March 2009. Eastern Pacific Ocean. At sea, the Officer … Read more
January 25, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) Why Taking Control Can Actually Make Leaders Weaker One of my core beliefs as a commanding officer was simple: the ship is not about the Captain—it’s about the team. I wanted my bridge team to be highly trained. That meant resisting the temptation to always give … Read more
January 19, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) When Leadership Refuses to Let the Goal Drift Big ships never stop needing maintenance—especially nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Some work happens between sea periods. Other work requires months tied to the pier. In early 2008, after two deployments nearly back to back, Nimitz entered a six-month maintenance … Read more
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 … Read more
January 4, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) Fear Whispers. Leadership Answers The Indian Ocean in July is no joke. When the southwest monsoon flares up, it can turn a 1,000-foot aircraft carrier into a toy boat. We were steaming alone—no escort, no cruiser, no shotgun—because the Pacific Commander had given me a diplomatic … Read more
December 28, 2025 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes) Even the Captain Needs Coaching Sometimes I was coming back to the Nimitz alone in a Super Hornet tanker—the last jet airborne after giving fuel to a strike package. Gorgeous day; the ship carving a perfect white wake through a glassy blue sea. I slid back … Read more