When It’s On You- Step Up

September 21, 2025 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

Leadership is Earned in the Moments No One Plans For

Step Up and Take Charge—When Seconds Matter

“Emergency pull forward… CAG Paddles to the platform.”

I sprinted 1,000 feet down Abraham Lincoln’s flight deck as the ship heeled hard to starboard. An A-6 Intruder with a partial ejection was inbound. The junior LSO on the platform was flooded with calls from the Admiral on down:

“Can you wave the airplane?”

He violently shook his head. “I can’t do this.” I told him, “Stand here by me—tell me if the deck goes foul and I can’t land him.” Then I took the mic.

I looked at the roiling wake curving off to our right as Captain Ellis turned Abe into the wind. Two miles out, the Intruder was already dirty (gear, flaps, hook down), trying to catch the swinging centerline for a straight-in. Over my left shoulder, I read the signal flags to sense the wind. Not yet…not yet.

There. I used the approach frequency and called to the bridge, “I’ll take the wind, Cap’n.” Again: “I’ll take the wind.” A third time. Then his voice boomed back, “Steadying up!” The ship rolled level. Time to land a broken jet in nonstandard wind.

As the A-6 closed, a strange cross-shape crowned the canopy line. Then it resolved: the bombardier-navigator, Lt. Keith Gallagher, halfway out of the jet—helmet and mask gone—arms pinned straight back by 200+ mph slipstream. Unmoving. From the platform, my mind shouted He’s dead. My voice belied my shock and it never changed. I lip-locked the pilot, Lt. Mark Baden—talking power, attitude, lineup—all the way to the wires.

I aimed him farther aft than usual to ensure a first-try trap. “Attitude! Attitude! Attitude!” The Intruder hit, skipped, and then the hook found the four wire. Rolled to a stop. Thank God. Keith didn’t tumble out. What I’d mistaken for blood down the aircraft spine was the orange panel of his parachute, wrapped around the tail—ironically what pinned him in place.

Medical sewed a cut under Keith’s arm. He was alive. In sick bay he croaked at me through windburned lips, “Hey, Paddles… what’d you give my pilot for a landing grade?” “OK underlined,” I told him—the best you can get. He grinned: “Well, from where I was… he looked high all the way.” Carrier aviation humor runs dark—and true.

They still use that pass at LSO school: a case study in taking command when there is no playbook. On the tape you can hear it—calling the wind with the Captain, then flying the airplane through the pilot. Not because of rank, but because responsibility had to be claimed by someone who was trained and ready.

Step Up and Take Charge—Own the Outcome

Emergencies don’t ask for permission. In the gaps where procedures end, leaders decide. Here’s what matters when there’s no script:

• Claim accountability. “I’ll take the wind” wasn’t bravado—it was ownership.

• Trust your reps. Preparation turns panic into focus. Training shows up when the clock runs out.

• Simplify the signal. One voice. Clear commands. No clutter.

• Use the whole team. Assign tight roles so you can stay on the main problem.

• Adjust for reality. Nonstandard wind? Change the game plan and land on the first try.

You may never face a partial ejection, but you will face moments that decide marriages, businesses, and careers. In those moments, stay present. Shut out fear. Leverage competence and empower your people. Then own the result.

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.