It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy (revised)

Captain D. Michael Abrashoff

Oct 2012 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff

About this audiobook

The legendary New York Times bestselling tale of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today's uncertain business seas.

When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of USS Benfold, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity. Knowing that responsibility for improving performance rested with him, he realized he had to improve his own leadership skills before he could improve his ship. Within months, he created a crew of confident and inspired problem-solvers eager to take the initiative and responsibility for their actions. The slogan on board became "It's your ship," and Benfold was soon recognized far and wide as a model of naval efficiency. How did Abrashoff do it? Against the backdrop of today's United States Navy, Abrashoff shares his secrets of successful management including:

See the ship through the eyes of the crew: By soliciting a sailor's suggestions, Abrashoff drastically reduced tedious chores that provided little additional value.

Communicate, communicate, communicate: The more Abrashoff communicated the plan, the better the crew's performance. His crew eventually started calling him "Megaphone Mike," since they heard from him so often.

Create discipline by focusing on purpose: Discipline skyrocketed when Abrashoff's crew believed that what they were doing was important.

Listen aggressively: After learning that many sailors wanted to use the GI Bill, Abrashoff brought a test official aboard the ship-and held the SATs forty miles off the Iraqi coast.

From achieving amazing cost savings to winning the highest gunnery score in the Pacific Fleet, Captain Abrashoff's extraordinary campaign sent shock waves through the U.S. Navy. It can help you change the course of your ship, no matter where your business battles are fought.

Ratings and reviews

I enjoyed your message until I got to you're political correctness section. Blaming white males for 'group think' and stagnant performance on other ships. This is beyond hypocritical, as you are also a white male. Your message of leadership is diluted when blaming sailors race and sex instead of criticizing leadership, which is your original message and the point of the book.

Recommended by a colleague and so glad I listened. While I'm not into military-related topics, this was an excellent exploration of leadership through heavy cultural influences and perspective on how to be a good human being. Definitely steered my approach towards leading people and managing others in an organization where culture affects daily work. There were many moments where I thought that the author seemed too idealistic or that "that would never happen in my company" yet I do believe that the thread throughout this tale is about having the right attitude and that showing others how effective it can be is a potent form of leadership and evidence that anyone can create change at a variety of levels that can have lasting, positive influence over even the most resistant environments.

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About the author

Captain D. Michael Abrashoff is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and was a military assistant to the former secretary of defense, the Honorable Dr. William J. Perry. Abrashoff left the Navy in 2001 and became the founder and CEO of Grassroots Leadership, Inc., in Boston. You can visit his website at www.grassrootsleadership.com.