The Two Things Leaders Must Do- and Then Get Out of the Way

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 Navy. Two years later, I was ordered to command Carrier Strike Group Eight.

From the start, I assembled a team of experienced commanders—seasoned ship captains, squadron commanders, and staff leaders. In November 2011, we gathered at Dam Neck, Virginia. About a hundred key leaders. I laid out the vision for our June 2012 deployment.

Then we got to work.

Leading Thoroughbreds

As winter turned to spring, we trained off the Virginia coast, building complexity. Shore-based simulators. Live at-sea evolutions. If we weren’t good enough, we repeated it—again and again—until we couldn’t get it wrong.

By June 2012, we deployed across the Atlantic, through the Mediterranean, and through the Suez Canal—my first transit that direction, as I had always been a “west coast sailor”. Captain Marcus “Hitch” Hitchcock commanded Eisenhower. He was outstanding. A former Tomcat pilot flying Super Hornets from his own ship. That mattered. Because when you have leaders like Hitch, your role changes.

I wasn’t there to captain the ship. I was there to lead the strike group. I had a stable of thoroughbreds—experienced, capable professionals who didn’t need micromanagement. They needed clarity, trust, and support. That freed me to apply the simplest leadership framework I know: Give guidance. Remove barriers. Once the mission was clear, I got out of their way.

Hitch would occasionally ask if I agreed with a course of action. I refused to agree or disagree. It was his decision. If he asked what I’d done in a similar situation as Nimitz’s captain, I’d share experience—but not answers. That approach built trust.

Leadership Lesson: Delegate, Give Guidance, Remove Barriers

Effective leaders resist micromanagement and master delegation.

Delegation isn’t dumping unpleasant tasks. It’s entrusting your most important work—with authority—to capable people. Responsibility without authority kills morale.

I learned this as XO of USS Carl Vinson. With 5,000 people, two nuclear reactors, and experts across every discipline, I had two choices: delegate or fail.

Professionals don’t need constant direction. They need guidance when asked—and barriers removed when encountered.

As a strike group commander, my value wasn’t tactical control. It was senior sponsorship. Policy waivers. Accelerated approvals. Standing between my leaders and bureaucracy.

I fought for them. Even when requests were denied, they knew I went to bat.

That’s leadership.

If you take care of your team, your team will take care of you.

And they did.

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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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