The Leadership Secret Hidden in Plain Sight

March 8, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

Inclusion is the Secret Sauce of High Morale

When does inclusion become the secret to exceptional leadership?

I was sharing a beer with a buddy at the bar in the Officers’ Club at Naval Air Station Oceana. We were talking about my upcoming assumption of command of my fighter squadron. I asked myself a vexing question out loud,

“Why is morale important?”

It sounds simple. High morale means people are happier, right? But I wasn’t satisfied with that answer. In the military, I could technically just order people to do the job. Why should morale matter beyond compliance?

Then I ran straight into the law.

Title 10 of the United States Code requires every commanding officer to “promote and safeguard the morale, the physical well-being, and the general welfare” of the people under their command.

By law, I wasn’t just the commanding officer.

I was the Morale Officer.

Morale didn’t mean being the “Fun Officer.” Military life—especially deployed—is rarely fun. Morale is about results. And I learned quickly that high morale produces better outcomes.

When people feel valued, they work harder.

When they’re recognized for doing things right, they want to do even better. When they know they can speak up—regardless of rank—you get better ideas and better decisions.

People innovate when morale is high. They ask why. They challenge assumptions. They care about making the team better because they feel like they belong.

You can see it in the military. Units with high morale carry themselves differently. They’re disciplined, focused, and confident. And when it’s time to do something hard, they give everything they’ve got.

I see the same thing today in business. When morale is low, people disengage. At best, they do the minimum. At worst, they quietly work against the mission.

So how do you build morale?

You value people. Individually. Intentionally. Daily.

I learned that lesson on the USS Carl Vinson.

During a deployment in 2001, I came across a young, enlisted sailor on his hands and knees, scrubbing wax residue in the corner of a filthy passageway with a toothbrush. It was a high-traffic area—nearly impossible to keep clean. Who was responsible? He was there…and an easy target.

I could have dressed him down.

I could have blamed him.

I could have crushed him.

Instead, I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “I want to thank you. This is hard work, and I appreciate what you’re doing.”

That moment mattered.

That sailor would remember that interaction long after the deployment ended. One sentence shaped how he saw leadership—and how he saw himself. If I had torn him down, I might have lost him forever. Instead, he walked away knowing he mattered.

That’s inclusion.

Inclusion isn’t a program.

It isn’t a slogan.

It isn’t checking boxes.

Inclusion is making people feel seen, respected, and valued—especially when no one else is watching.

When you do that, morale rises—and it spreads. People take pride in their work. They speak up instead of shutting down. And performance improves.

Maya Angelou said it best: People will never forget how you made them feel.

That’s why leadership is never about you. It’s about the team. When people know they matter to you, you matter to them. Trust grows. Commitment deepens. Results follow.

But here’s the warning: this only works if it’s real.

You can’t fake it. You have to mean it—and live it.

Here’s the bottom line:

Make every member of your team feel valued.

Value their presence. Value their perspective. Value their work.

Do that consistently, and you can build a high-performing team out of any group of people.

Inclusion isn’t soft. It’s operational.
And it’s the secret sauce of high morale.

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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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