EIL18: Lead with Your Heart and NOT with Your Title: Winning Leadership Strategies with Mike Manazir

Excellent International Leadership

Mike Manazir is the author of the Amazon best-seller, “Learn How to Lead to Win”, released in January 2023. He is a retired Rear Admiral who served 36 years in the U.S. Navy. He qualified to fly F-14 Tomcats and F-18 Super Hornets, is a Top Gun Graduate, and commanded a fighter squadron, two ships including command of the aircraft carrier, USS NIMITZ. Mike had five tours in the Pentagon and is now an executive with a Fortune 100 Aerospace and Defense Company.

In this episode, Mike talks to us about the importance of communication and human connection in leaders, as he stresses how we can get better results if we “lead with our hearts and not with our titles”.

Why you have to check out today’s podcast:

Learn how you can make connections with up to thousands of crew as a leader Find out why it is essential that you keep your tone, energy, and passion lively in order to boost the morale of your team Understand the importance of “looking at the other side of the coin”, and why you should delegate and not micromanage

“If you lead with your title, you're going to get less results from your team. If you lead from your heart and you're inclusive with each member of the team…you will get more high-powered results.”

– Mike Manazir

Topics Covered:

00:26 – Lead with your heart, not with your titles: What inspired Mike to write his book, “Learn how to Lead to Win”

03:45 – It’s about communication and connection: How leading 300 people differs from leading 10,000 people

09:12 – You can create connection even through a speaker: How Mike learned that his tone and energy on the 1MC had impacts on his crew

11:16 – Whatever the mission is, just put “mission”: How Mike relates leadership in the military to leadership in the corporate world

15:33 – It’s all about connecting with human beings: The key learnings in Mike’s career as a leader that he communicates in his book

22:28 – Look at the other side of the coin: How Mike addresses people who are not doing what they’re expected to do

27:46 – Delegate, and not micromanage: What leadership advice Mike would give to his younger self

Key Takeaways:

“You over communicate whenever you go out. You connect with people. You bring people together.”

“Everybody wants to be recognized. Everybody wants to feel valued for what they do. Everybody wants to feel a purpose. Everybody on that ship joined the Navy to serve something bigger than themselves.”

“You can create a connection, a human connection, even through only a speaker.”

“If you get to a point where you don't want to disappoint them and they don't want to disappoint you, you can do anything. Anything.”

“Leadership is about plagiarism. You plagiarize all of the good habits that great leaders do.”

People / Resources Mentioned:

• Learn How to Lead to Win: 33 Powerful Stories and Leadership Lessons - https://www.amazon.com/Learn-How-Lead-Win-Leadership/dp/B0BRZ7DWS8
• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them, and People Will Follow You - https://www.amazon.com/21-Irrefutable-Laws-Leadership-Anniversary/dp/0785288376
• How to Win Friends and Influence People - https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034

Connect with Mike Manazir:

• Website: www.mikemanazir.com

Connect with Dr. Katrina Burrus

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinaburrus/
• Website: https://mkbconseil.ch/contact/