April 12, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)
Leaders don’t fail because they lack authority—they fail because they don’t listen
How can leaders expect to inspire when they neglect to listen?
When I took command of the USS Sacramento, I thought I had already learned everything I needed to know about leadership during my time as Executive Officer on the USS Carl Vinson.
I had not.
One night at sea we were rejoining the carrier strike group after a port visit to reprovision with strike group stores. We were about fifty miles from the Vinson closing on her to join. I volunteered for us to assume plane guard duties—positioning one mile astern of the carrier to recover pilots if an ejection occurred.
Supply ships normally don’t perform this mission, but I wanted my junior officers to learn the skill.
It was a pitch-black night.
The Vinson was steaming northwest at about thirty knots. We approached from the north at the same speed—closing at roughly seventy miles per hour.
My Officer of the Deck that night was Lieutenant Rebecca Domzalski.
She remains one of the best officers I ever worked with—for one simple reason.
She had the courage to challenge the captain.
As we closed on the carrier, our plan was to pass down her starboard side and then turn behind her to establish our plane guard position.
Rebecca approached me.
“Captain, we need to come left, away from Carl Vinson.”
I disagreed. I didn’t want to maneuver too early and fall behind the carrier.
She came back again.
“Captain, we need to come left.”
Again, I pushed back.
The third time she came over, her tone was different.
“Captain—we have to come left!”
I stood up to show her she was mistaken.
Instead, I instantly realized something terrifying.
We were about to collide with a 100,000-ton aircraft carrier.
Just then Captain Rick Wren of the Vinson came up on the radio.
“Looks pretty exciting.”
That was Navy language for: You need to act now.
“Left full rudder!” I ordered.
The ship heeled hard as we turned and slid down the starboard side of the Carl Vinson with about 500 yards of separation.
Five hundred yards at night, at high speed, between two ships that size?
That was far too close.
When we finally stabilized a mile astern, I looked at Rebecca and thanked her.
Her persistence had prevented disaster.
She likely saved hundreds of lives. She prevented the collision of two capital ships—and she probably saved my career.
That night burned a permanent lesson into my leadership:
Listen to the opposing perspective.
Leaders are human. We all have blind spots. Sometimes the people closest to the work see things the leader cannot.
Listening to them is not weakness.
It is wisdom.
History offers a painful reminder of what happens when leaders refuse to listen.
The captain of the RMS Titanic ignored multiple iceberg warnings from other ships and his own crew. Despite clear danger, the ship continued at high speed.
The result was catastrophic—more than 1,500 lives lost.
The tragedy stands as a stark reminder of the consequences when leaders fail to listen.
Great leaders create environments where people feel safe to speak up.
When leaders truly listen:
• Trust grows.
• Better decisions are made.
• Innovation increases.
• Teams perform at a higher level.
Frontline team members often see problems first. Leaders who listen gain access to insights they would otherwise miss.
Listening sends a powerful message:
Your voice matters.
And when people believe their voice matters, they engage more deeply in the mission.
Here’s the bottom line:
Listening is one of the most powerful acts of leadership.
It requires humility.
It requires discipline.
And sometimes it requires admitting you might be wrong.
But leaders who listen gain something invaluable—the collective wisdom of their entire team.
And sometimes, that wisdom prevents disaster.
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