--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I am in charge of a vessel, I always…" description: "\"When I am in charge of a vessel, I always command; nobody commands but me. I take all the responsibility, all the risks, all the hardships that my offi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/michael-a-healy-105403_command_when-i-am-in-charge-of-a-vessel-i-always_2920414.jpg" --- # When I am in charge of a vessel, I always command; nobody… ![“When I am in charge of a vessel, I always command; nobody commands but me. I take all the responsibility, all the risks, all the hardships that my office would call upon me to take. I do not steer by any man's compass but my own.” quote by Michael A. Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/michael-a-healy-105403_command_when-i-am-in-charge-of-a-vessel-i-always_2920414.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/michael-a-healy-105403_command_when-i-am-in-charge-of-a-vessel-i-always_2920414.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc6/michael-a-healy-105403_command_when-i-am-in-charge-of-a-vessel-i-always_2920414.jpg) > “When I am in charge of a vessel, I always command; nobody commands but me. I take all the responsibility, all the risks, all the hardships that my office would call upon me to take. I do not steer by any man's compass but my own.” Michael A. Healy ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A declaration of autonomous leadership and personal responsibility, emphasizing self‑direction and the willingness to bear all associated risks and hardships. **In simple terms:** Lead yourself, accept all risks and duties. Key Takeaway Embrace responsibility. Themes leadership autonomy responsibility risk self‑reliance Mood assertive responsible determined Type Command:1 Commands:0 Compass:0 Hardship:1 Men:0 Military:0 My own:0 Office:0 Responsibility:1 Risk:1 Steers:0 Vessel:0 Commands Responsibility:0 Vessel Command:0 When to use this quote - when leading a team - in making decisions - in crisis management Key Concepts military management entrepreneurship personal growth ethics Questions to Reflect On - When should you delegate? - How do you balance risk with safety? A Different Perspective Absolute control can isolate leaders from valuable counsel. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compass/) [Hardship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardship/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [My belief is that if you grapple with the big changes until you really get them and if you develop an internal compass to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murdoch/my-belief-is-that-if-you-grapple-with-the-big-changes-until-you/) [James Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murdoch/) > [He is the best sailor who can steer within the fewest points of the wind, and extract a motive power out of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/he-is-the-best-sailor-who-can-steer-within-the-fewest-points-of-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We have not to talk, but to steer the vessel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/we-have-not-to-talk-but-to-steer-the-vessel/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [He who sends the storm steers the vessel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-adams/he-who-sends-the-storm-steers-the-vessel/) [Thomas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-adams/) > [When ancient opinions and rules of life are taken away, the loss cannot possibly be estimated. From that moment, we have no compass to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/when-ancient-opinions-and-rules-of-life-are-taken-away-the-loss/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Sometimes a fog will settle over a vessel's deck and yet leave the topmast clear. Then a sailor goes up aloft and gets a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/sometimes-a-fog-will-settle-over-a-vessel-s-deck-and-yet-leave-the/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [The plain fact is religion must die for mankind to live. The hour is getting very late to be able to indulge in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-plain-fact-is-religion-must-die-for-mankind-to-live-the-hour-is/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [The legislator is like the navigator of a ship on the high seas. He can steer the vessel on which he sails, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-legislator-is-like-the-navigator-of-a-ship-on-the-high-seas-he/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Pleasure is the rock which most young people split upon; they launch out with crowded sails in quest of it, but without a compassto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pleasure-is-the-rock-which-most-young-people-split-upon-they-launch/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is one of the results of that adventurous spirit which is now stalking forth and raging for its own innovations. We have not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-d-israeli/this-is-one-of-the-results-of-that-adventurous-spirit-which-is-now/) [Isaac D'Israeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-d-israeli/) > [The Christian world, I discovered, was like the captain and crew of a vessel on the ocean without a compass, and tossed to and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/the-christian-world-i-discovered-was-like-the-captain-and-crew-of-a/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [Science is a magnificent force, but it is not a teacher of morals. It can perfect machinery, but it adds no moral restraints to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/science-is-a-magnificent-force-but-it-is-not-a-teacher-of-morals-it/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [The mind, too, has its regimen. It needs gymnastics, just like the body does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-mind-too-has-its-regimen-it-needs-gymnastics-just-like-the-body/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“The lion commands respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/the-lion-commands-respect/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [It is the mind that shapes the body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pilates/it-is-the-mind-that-shapes-the-body/) [Joseph Pilates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pilates/) ## More by Michael A. Healy > [MPU was a great platform for emotional drama and Australian stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-a-healy/mpu-was-a-great-platform-for-emotional-drama-and-australian-stories/) Michael A. Healy Explore all 2 Michael A. 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Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [Our beliefs are like the unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what's possible and what's impossible, what we can and can not do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/our-beliefs-are-like-the-unquestioned-commands-telling-us-how-things/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Why has no religion this command before all others: Thou shalt work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berthold-auerbach/why-has-no-religion-this-command-before-all-others-thou-shalt-work/) [Berthold Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berthold-auerbach/) > [I ask one thing only: I ask for the right to hope, to suffer as I do. 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