October 29, 2025
"The Weight of Command: The Ehime Maru Tragedy and the Case for Transparency" with Admiral Thomas B Fargo
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>"The Weight of Command:</u></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The Ehime Maru Tragedy and the Case for Transparency"</u></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>with Admiral Thomas B Fargo</u></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style= "mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <strong>Welcome to Episode 29, Season 9 of A CEO's Virtual Mentor<sup>®</sup></strong></p> <p>In this compelling episode of Leadership Lyceum: A CEO's Virtual Mentor<sup>®</sup>, 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.</p> <p><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">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.</span></p> <p><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">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<sup>®</sup> entitled "The Weight of Command: The Ehime Maru Tragedy and the Case for Transparency" 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.</span></p> <p><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">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.</span></p> <p><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">The episode is divided into five segments:</span></p> <p style= "margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> <!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style= "mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span> <!--[endif]--><strong>The Incident</strong>: 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—a tragedy that claimed nine lives and strained U.S.–Japan relations. The segment sets the stage for a crisis that would test not only naval command but also the moral fiber of leadership itself.</span></p> <p style= "margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> <!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2. <span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><strong>The Ever-Elusive Facts</strong>: In every crisis, the first reports are wrong. Admiral Fargo recounts how the Navy struggled to uncover the truth amid incomplete, often misleading information—compounded 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.</span></p> <p style= "margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> <!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3. <span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><strong>The Investigation</strong>: With multiple options before him—a classified inquiry, internal settlement, court-martial, or a public court of inquiry—Admiral Fargo faced a defining choice. Guided by the principle that "some events cannot be delegated," he chose full transparency, rejecting secrecy even at the cost of institutional discomfort. This decision, rooted in lessons from the Navy's past, particularly the Tailhook scandal, set the tone for how the service would regain trust through openness.</span></p> <p style= "margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> <!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4. <span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><strong>The Court of Inquiry</strong>: The rare and rigorous process unfolds. Three senior flag officers—an aviator, a submariner, and a surface warfare officer—are appointed, joined symbolically by a Japanese admiral to safeguard the interests of the victims' families. As the inquiry proceeds under intense public scrutiny, painful truths emerge: procedural lapses, haste under pressure, and breakdowns in communication. The court's findings affirm accountability while preserving fairness—showing that leadership's true test lies in how justice is pursued when tragedy strikes.</span></p> <p style= "margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> <!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5. <span style= "font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><strong>Epilogue on Leadership in Reflection</strong>: In the closing segment, Admiral Fargo reflects on the enduring lessons of command—trusting one's 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—in what <a href= "https://www.leadershiplyceum.com/unlocking-boardroom-excellence-the-unseen-duty-of-directors-obedience-to-the-unenforceable/"> Lord Moulton called "obedience to the unenforceable."</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style= "mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style= "mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Program Guide</span></u></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><strong style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style= "mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A CEO's Virtual Mentor<sup>®</sup></span></strong></span> <span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><strong style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style= "mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Episode 29</span></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><strong style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">"The Weight of Command:</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><strong style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Ehime Maru Tragedy and the Case for Transparency"</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><strong style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">with Admiral Thomas B Fargo</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: -1.0in;"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong>0:00</strong><span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <strong>Introduction to the program and to our guest, Ret. Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, Commander of the United States Pacific Command.</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong>3:16</strong><span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <strong>Part 1: The Incident</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">22:06<span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> Break 1</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong>22:12</strong><span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <strong>Part 2: The Ever-Elusive Facts</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">30:35<span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> Break 2</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong>31:06</strong><span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <strong>Part 3: The Investigation</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">41:17<span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> Break 3</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong>41:48</strong><span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <strong>Part 4: The Court of Inquiry</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong> </strong></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">48:06<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> Break 4 – Intermediate Break</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> </span><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">48:12<span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <strong>Part 4: The Court of Inquiry (continued)</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> </span><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">54:13<span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> Break 5</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> </span><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong>54:22</strong> <span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <strong>Part 5: Epilogue on Leadership in Reflection</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><strong>1:04:27</strong><span style= "mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <strong>Lyceum's Reflective Closing Comments</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"> <span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">We would like to express our special thanks to the clients of Lyceum Leadership Consulting that enable us to bring you this podcast.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-left: .5in; text-align: center; text-indent: -.5in;" align= "center"><a id="OLE_LINK5" name="OLE_LINK5"></a><strong><u>Links to Biographies of Guests</u></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><u>Admiral Thomas B. Fargo</u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;"><span style= "color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Wikipedia: <a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_B._Fargo#:~:text=Admiral%20Thomas%20Boulton%20Fargo%20AO,officer%20to%20hold%20the%20position"> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_B._Fargo#:~:text=Admiral%20Thomas%20Boulton%20Fargo%20AO,officer%20to%20hold%20the%20position</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: 5.0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"> <span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;">Your host <strong>Thomas B. Linquist</strong> 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. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: 5.0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"> <span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;">He is an expert on hiring and promotion decisions and leadership development. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: 5.0pt; text-align: center; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" align="center"><strong><span style= "font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;">Join the</span></strong> <a title= "https://mailchi.mp/leadershiplyceum.com/lyceum-circle-of-leaders-landing-page-sign-up-form" href= "https://www.leadershiplyceum.com/circle-of-leaders/#form"><strong> <span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">Lyceum Circle of Leaders<sup>®</sup></span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;"> </span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: 5.0pt; text-align: center; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" align="center"><strong><span style= "font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;">a community of forward-thinking leaders </span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: 5.0pt; text-align: center; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" align="center"><strong><span style= "font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;">dedicated to improving leadership through shared intelligence.</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style= "margin-bottom: 5.0pt; text-align: center; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" align="center"><strong><span style= "font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;">Please spread the word among your fellow executives and board colleagues.</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "text-decoration: underline;"><strong style= "mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style= "font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; text-decoration: underline;">Program Disclaimer</span></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 8.5pt; color: black;">The only purpose of the podcast is to educate, inform and entertain. 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