Product Description
“The most vital thing a captain can do is to see the ship from the eyes of the crew.” This belief has successfully guided D. Michael Abrashoff, the captain of one of the U.S. Navy’s most modern and lethal warships. Abrashoff has revolutionized how to handle such challenging problems as excessive costs, low morale, sexual harassment, and constant turn-over. Business managers will benefit from Abrashoff’s guiding belief that focus should be on empowering your people rather than on chain of command. By shifting organizing principles from obedience to performance, managers will be rewarded with remarkable productivity. As Abrashoff clarifies, the more people delight in the process, the better the results. Excellent leaders listen to the people under their command-and use their thoughts to improve operating procedures.Amazon.com Review
Other than the sobering fact that real lives are regularly at stake, running a navy ship is a lot like running a business: leaders of both must get the most out of their crews to operate at peak efficiency and complete the tasks at hand. As commander of the highly acclaimed USS Benfold, Captain D. Michael Abrashoff irrefutably demonstrated how progressive management can succeed at sea; in It’s Your Ship, he translates his methods into an approach that can also be applied by land-bound captains of commerce and industry. Describing “the thoughts and techniques that I used to win my sailors’ trust and, eventually, their enthusiastic commitment to our joint goal of making our ship the best in the fleet,” Abrashoff cites embarrassing failures along with subsequent triumphs to illuminate the keys to his accomplished 20-month tenure aboard the guided missile destroyer. His suggestions: lead by example; listen aggressively; communicate purpose and meaning; make a climate of trust; look for results, not salutes; take calculated risks; go beyond standard procedure; build up your people; generate unity; and improve your people’s quality of life. While hardly original on the surface, Abrashoff’s course should provide practical direction and inspiration for any leader hoping for similarly positive results in similarly rigid organizations. –Howard Rothman
It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
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” I DONT KNOW”, how to rate this book because i have not received it. I was told that i would receive this product between 16 AUG and 29 AUG. it is now SEPT 1ST and still no product.
Rating: 1 / 5
After reading this book, I happened to question the opinion of an very high ranking Navy Officer whom I am friends with. When I questioned him his opinion of this book and Captain Abrashoff, his only answer was “He didn’t make Admiral now did he?” Indeed. While reading this book, take note of the use of certain words such as I, me and my. I noticed a yucky lack of the word we in this book.
We as in us, the team, it was lacking. I’m sure Mr. Abrashoff ran a ship to be proud of but he lacks the hindsight to appreciate teamwork. It is in fact team work that makes a business run and run efficiently. This type of attitude is exactly what is incorrect with American businesses today. The us and them mentality which separates management from peons is very evident here.
Rating: 1 / 5
I anticipated an insightful book on leadership and was surprised to find only simple platitudes. More surprising were the number of personal pronouns throughout the book – I’ve never before read a management technique & leadership book that focused so much on the individual. In contrast, Jim Collins’ book “Excellent to Fantastic” describes level 1 through 5 leaders. Let the reader choose for himself/herself what level is CAPT Abrashoff.
Rating: 1 / 5
I gleaned small from this book on “leadership” other than a better appreciation of the need for humility among leaders. CAPT Abrashoff’s arrogance is appalling. I’ve served on similar ships at the same time as CAPT Abrashoff and can empahtically say that few of the thoughts he passes off as his own are truly original. Far from it for him to believe, but his is not the only ship in the Navy to achieve such success. Admittedly, BENFOLD did have a excellent reputation and continues to delight in a excellent record. But I fail to see many positive lessons on leadership from his oddly-arranged collection of “sea tales”. In fact, this is not a book on leadership but what appears to be Abrashoff’s resume. The best thing I can say about it is that it will keep you riveted from page to page as your rage at such unrestrained arrogance and self-promotion boils over. If you can take away a lesson from it (as that is the goal of all books on leadership) it is that you should endeavour to not be like CAPT Abrashoff.
Rating: 1 / 5
WOW…I thought it took nearly 300 people to run a Navy combatant. Obviously, according CAPT Mike, all the accolades received by the USS BENFOLD were all about him, and due to his leadership.
As a retired Navy CAPT, I feel he has done a right disservice to his fellow Surface Warfare Officers and all of his senior enlisted members and crew. Obviously, Mike missed the first session of Command Leadership l0l…Command is not about you as the Commanding Officer, its about the sailors!
Rating: 1 / 5