October 18th, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)
One tired evening aboard the USS Nimitz taught me how closely people listen to their leaders.
High-performing teams rest on one very important foundation: communication.
I was reminded of that one evening while in command of USS Nimitz, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with 5,000 sailors aboard. Since I could not meet individually every day with all 5,000 people in my crew, I relied on speaking each evening to them over the ship’s general announcing system, called the 1MC. Given that I was only transmitting, I knew it was important to be fired up, as inspirational as I could be, using this type of communication.
I imagined a young enlisted sailor working far below decks; lonely, homesick, questioning why they joined the navy, maybe even a little fearful of life at sea. That was the sailor I wanted to reach.
Every evening, after flight operations, I had the Bos’n (we called him “Boats”) pipe the signal for the Captain’s announcement. The Bos’n’s competed to see who could deliver the longest whistle announcing my pending talk. It made me laugh. It drove the crew crazy.
When that whistle finally ended, I’d grab the microphone from the grinning Bos’n.
“Thanks, Boats! Good evening, Nimitz warriors. This is Old Salt!”
Then I’d enthusiastically recap what we’d accomplished during the day, tell them where in the world we were, describe the weather, explain what was coming next, and recognize the Sailors Of The Day by name for outstanding performance.
I was the Energizer Bunny! Positive, upbeat, and full of enthusiasm.
My hope was that discouraged, lonely sailor deep below decks would look up at the speaker and think, “If that idiot is that happy, maybe there’s something for me to be happy about too.”
Then came an interaction that’s seared into my memory.
It had been a long three days. We had completed flight operations in the South China Sea three evenings before, transited the Strait of Malacca which takes 24 hours, and resumed operations in the Bay of Bengal with the Indian aircraft carrier, Viraat. I was on my third day of continuous time on the bridge. My batteries were drained.
That evening, I made my usual announcement, but my voice betrayed my exhaustion. I wasn’t my normally upbeat self. I sounded flat.
Right after the announcement, I had a short break. I galloped all the way down the ten ladders from the bridge to the second deck to see the ship’s senior enlisted leader, the Nimitz Command Master Chief. As I hurried through the large watertight hatch entering the aft mess deck galley line, a Second Class Petty Officer, a black female ordnance man, physically stopped me, placing her hand in the center of my chest. Bam.
“Captain, are you okay!?” Her face showed her concern.
“Sure. Why?” I asked, startled.
“Well, you sounded so down on the 1MC.”
I was stunned.
A junior sailor heard the difference in my voice and cared enough to ask about it.
I realized what my crew was listening to.
They weren’t simply hearing my words. They were listening to my attitude, my energy, and my confidence.
As the leader, you set the tone. And your tone sets the culture.
What Leaders Must Understand
Effective communication is about much more than delivering information. It’s how we build relationships, earn trust, and give people confidence in what we’re doing together.
Here are five lessons I carried from Nimitz into business leadership:
1. Communicate often, especially during uncertainty. When leaders go silent, people fill the gaps with their own assumptions. Uncertainty causes fear. You can erase the fear and uncertainty by communicating.
2. Tell the truth, from your heart. Your people deserve honesty, even when the news is difficult. Be straightforward about what you know, what you don’t know, and what comes next.
3. Set a positive tone. Your team takes its cues from you. Enthusiasm is contagious, but so are frustration and discouragement. Be aware of how you’re communicating before you ever say a word.
4. Make the message clear. People perform better when they understand what’s happening, why it matters, and what they’re expected to do.
5. Listen as carefully as you speak. Make it safe for people to ask questions, raise concerns, and disagree. They need to know their voices matter.
Lead to Win Principle
A leader’s words inform the team. A leader’s tone influences the team. And a leader’s willingness to listen builds trust.
The Question
If you asked your people today how your communication makes them feel—confident, valued, informed, or uncertain—what would they tell you?
And are you willing to absorb their answer and change?
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