{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"\u201cThe Weight of Command: The Ehime Maru Tragedy and the Case for Transparency\u201d with Admiral Thomas B Fargo","description":" \u201cThe Weight of Command: The Ehime Maru Tragedy and the Case for Transparency\u201d with Admiral Thomas B Fargo   Welcome to Episode 29, Season 9 of A CEO\u2019s Virtual Mentor\u00ae In this compelling episode of Leadership Lyceum: A CEO's Virtual Mentor\u00ae, we are joined by a distinguished leader whose career has been defined by service, responsibility, and command at the highest levels of the United States Navy. Admiral Thomas B. Fargo served as a four-star admiral and commander of the United States Pacific Command, the largest unified command in the world, overseeing operations across half the globe. Across not only his military career, but also across his board leadership service, Admiral Fargo is known for his steady hand in times of crisis and moral clarity under pressure: qualities that are grounded in his deep commitment to accountability and transparency. This episode of A CEO's Virtual Mentor\u00ae entitled \u201cThe Weight of Command: The Ehime Maru Tragedy and the Case for Transparency\u201d reveals those qualities under the pressure of deep crisis and human tragedy in the aftermath of the tragic collision of the USS Greeneville, a nuclear-powered submarine, and the Japanese fishery training vessel, the Ehime Maru off Oahu on February 9th, 2001, a tragedy that took the lives of nine Japanese citizens, including four high school students. As commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time, Admiral Fargo was responsible for the Navy's response. Our episode today takes us back almost 25 years ago to the incident and to the decisions in the aftermath. The episode is divided into five segments: 1.     The Incident: The story opens with a vivid recounting of the 2001 collision between the USS Greeneville, a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine, and the Japanese training vessel Ehime Maru off Oahu. Admiral Fargo, then Commander of the Pacific Fleet, reflects on the moment he received the first report and the gravity of what unfolded\u2014a tragedy that claimed nine lives and strained U.S.\u2013Japan relations. The segment sets the stage for a crisis that would test not only naval command but also the moral fiber of leadership itself. 2.    The Ever-Elusive Facts: In every crisis, the first reports are wrong. Admiral Fargo recounts how the Navy struggled to uncover the truth amid incomplete, often misleading information\u2014compounded by legal, diplomatic, and media pressures. Drawing parallels to the 1988 USS Vincennes - Iranian Airbus tragedy, this segment examines the tension between speed and accuracy in crisis communication, and how early missteps can shape public perception for years. 3.    The Investigation: With multiple options before him\u2014a classified inquiry, internal settlement, court-martial, or a public court of inquiry\u2014Admiral Fargo faced a defining choice. Guided by the principle that \u201csome events cannot be delegated,\u201d he chose full transparency, rejecting secrecy even at the cost of institutional discomfort. This decision, rooted in lessons from the Navy\u2019s past, particularly the Tailhook scandal, set the tone for how the service would regain trust through openness. 4.    The Court of Inquiry: The rare and rigorous process unfolds. Three senior flag officers\u2014an aviator, a submariner, and a surface warfare officer\u2014are appointed, joined symbolically by a Japanese admiral to safeguard the interests of the victims\u2019 families. As the inquiry proceeds under intense public scrutiny, painful truths emerge: procedural lapses, haste under pressure, and breakdowns in communication. The court\u2019s findings affirm accountability while preserving fairness\u2014showing that leadership\u2019s true test lies in how justice is pursued when tragedy strikes. 5.    Epilogue on Leadership in Reflection: In the closing segment, Admiral Fargo reflects on the enduring lessons of command\u2014trusting one\u2019s instincts, fostering an environment where truth can be spoken freely, and upholding personal accountability even when law or policy might allow retreat. His story culminates in a powerful act of restitution: the unprecedented salvage of the Ehime Maru to recover the remains of the lost. Through this effort, Fargo demonstrated that the highest form of leadership lives not in procedure, but in conscience\u2014in what Lord Moulton called \u201cobedience to the unenforceable.\u201d   Program Guide A CEO\u2019s Virtual Mentor\u00ae Episode 29 \u201cThe Weight of Command: The Ehime Maru Tragedy and the Case for Transparency\u201d with Admiral Thomas B Fargo 0:00              Introduction to the program and to our guest, Ret. Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, Commander of the United States Pacific Command. 3:16               Part 1: The Incident 22:06             Break 1 22:12             Part 2: The Ever-Elusive Facts 30:35             Break 2 31:06             Part 3: The Investigation 41:17               Break 3 41:48             Part 4: The Court of Inquiry  48:06             Break 4 \u2013 Intermediate Break  48:12              Part 4: The Court of Inquiry (continued)  54:13              Break 5  54:22             Part 5: Epilogue on Leadership in Reflection 1:04:27           Lyceum\u2019s Reflective Closing Comments   We would like to express our special thanks to the clients of Lyceum Leadership Consulting that enable us to bring you this podcast.   Links to Biographies of Guests Admiral Thomas B. Fargo Wikipedia: https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_B._Fargo#:~:text=Admiral%20Thomas%20Boulton%20Fargo%20AO,officer%20to%20hold%20the%20position Your host Thomas B. Linquist is the Founder and Managing Director of Lyceum Leadership Consulting and Lyceum Leadership Productions. Over his 25 years in management and leadership consulting he has served a wide array of corporate clients.  This includes leadership assessment and search for chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief operating officers and directors of boards.  He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and over his 35-year career has served in a variety of roles: as an engineer with Shell Oil Company, a banker with ABN AMRO Bank, and as treasurer was the youngest corporate officer in the 150+ year history at Peoples Energy Company in Chicago.  He is an expert on hiring and promotion decisions and leadership development.  Over the course of his search and advisory career, Tom has interviewed thousands of leaders and authored numerous articles exploring group decision-making under uncertainty, board effectiveness, and leadership development. Join the Lyceum Circle of Leaders\u00ae  a community of forward-thinking leaders  dedicated to improving leadership through shared intelligence. Please spread the word among your fellow executives and board colleagues.   Program Disclaimer The only purpose of the podcast is to educate, inform and entertain. The information shared is based on the collection of experiences of each of the guests interviewed and should not be considered or substituted for professional advice. Guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and neither The Leadership Lyceum LLC nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular content, recommendation or methodology discussed in this podcast. Follow Leadership Lyceum on: Our website: www.LeadershipLyceum.com LinkedIn: The Leadership Lyceum LLC Email us: info@LeadershipLyceum.com This podcast Leadership Lyceum: A CEO\u2019s Virtual Mentor\u00ae has been a production of The Leadership Lyceum LLC. Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. ","author_name":"Leadership Lyceum: A CEO's Virtual Mentor","author_url":"http:\/\/www.leadershiplyceum.com","html":"