Lessons From Inside the Pentagon

September 28, 2025 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

What the Pentagon Taught Me About Balance, Relationships, and Integrity

The Puzzle Palace
July 1993 – The Pentagon

“Do the right things for the right reasons and stand firm.”

My first Pentagon assignment was unlike anything I had known in the operational Navy. Part of my job was approving schedules for the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, and Golden Knights. The hours were long. I ate a brown-bag lunch at my desk and rarely saw the sun. Arriving in the dark and leaving in the dark, I felt entombed inside the cement walls of what we called The Puzzle Palace. It wasn’t until I experienced an epiphany that I began to understand the importance of balance.

Headed to Command—But First, the Pentagon

I had received my “ticket” to command. Commander Dave “Barnyard” Bernhard, the skipper of my squadron, the VF-1 Wolfpack, had looked me in the eye and said, “You are going to be a Commanding Officer.” But before I could take command, I had to complete a joint duty assignment. For fighter pilots, the Pentagon was the last place we wanted to be. Bureaucracy, politics, and layers of people who could say “No” slowed everything to a crawl. Yet here I was, beginning the first of five Pentagon tours—none voluntary.

Lessons from Bureaucracy

The Pentagon is massive: 150 acres, 18 miles of corridors, and 26,000 people. Despite its size, you can reach any office in under seven minutes. People hustle, heads down, high energy—but the air felt heavy, joyless.

Inside those five rings of pain, I learned the art of working relationships. Bureaucracies thrive on silos and red tape, and the key to surviving them is not brute force—it’s knowing who has the tribal knowledge to cut through the clutter. The senior civilians and long-timers hold the keys. When I built trust with them, the impossible became possible.

The Balance Epiphany

At first, I followed my predecessor’s advice: never leave your desk. Be available at all times. I found he was right; I was busy the entire day. One day, I gave up my lunch to attend a meeting, only to return and find my desk covered with Post-it notes from missed calls. That was my turning point. If I would miss calls anyway, I might as well use the time for me. From then on, I scheduled my own “meeting” at the gym during lunch. Balance matters. That single choice not only improved my energy and attitude—it reshaped the way I led others.

I began encouraging my team to find balance, too. If someone seemed chained to their desk, I’d remind them: “There will always be emails and phone calls waiting. Take time for yourself. Refill your tank.”

Standing Firm in Integrity

There were several times during that first tour in the Pentagon that I had to stand on principle. One which had the most public impact was canceling the Blue Angels performance at the 1994 Seattle Sea Fair. I got myself “above the fold” in the local papers. The FAA required team aerobatic maneuvers to be performed inside a defined box, but the log boom of spectator boats extended into that box, violating our safety boundaries. The show organizers refused to move the log boom. The decision fell to me. I stood firm and canceled the performance. The press headlines made it sound like “The Pentagon” had spoken, but the reality was this: a single Lieutenant Commander signed on the dotted line.

I never once thought about my career prospects or political pressure. I did what was right—for safety and integrity. That decision, though unpopular, earned me the trust and respect of my civilian boss and reinforced a truth I have carried my whole career: Do the right things for the right reasons and stand firm.

Policies can be waived. Rules can be changed. But integrity—your alignment between word and deed—must remain non-negotiable. That’s how you earn the respect of your team, your peers, and the person you see in the mirror.

Explore Leadership Resources:

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

Take Action

Mike’s Leadership Forum

Do you have a comment or question to make on today’s blog?
Do you have a leadership issue you would like us to process in a future blog?
Do you need a speaker for an upcoming leadership event?
Click CONTACT for comments.