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It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy (Hardcover)
by D. Michael Abrashoff
| Category:
Leadership, Management, Navy |
| Market price: ¥ 278.00
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¥ 218.00
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 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Packed with real-world examples that help define leadership, this is an extraordinary, from-the-trenches source of knowledge on leadership. A must read! |
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Author: D. Michael Abrashoff
Publisher: Warner Business Books
Pub. in: May, 2002
ISBN: 0446529117
Pages: 256
Measurements: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00165
Other information: ISBN-13: 978-0446529112
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- Awards & Credential -
The Business Week, Wall Street Journal and New York Times Bestseller. Ranks #1,795 in books out of millions on Amazon.com as of January 30, 2007. |
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- MSL Picks -
This book and its author have received a lot of media exposure, so I decided to check it out. While Abrashoff espouses proven leadership techniques, the only really new learning is how one man applied the principles on a Navy ship with a complement of 311 sailors. This is more a story of one man's awakening to how leadership is considerably more effective than management; how getting out of people's way is wiser than micromanaging them.
Leadership is emphasized in the book, and in every endorsement quote on the back cover. Yet, the subtitle says "management techniques," not "leadership techniques." Leadership did not come easy to Abrashoff; he had a lot of learning to do... and undo. As he moves through the chapters, this retired Navy Captain talks about his experiences in leading by example, listening, communicating purpose and meaning, creating a climate of trust, focusing on results, taking calculated risks, building people and unity, and strengthening quality of life.
Good leaders can tell you all about these concepts and how they are applied in their organization. Aspiring leaders and those who have not yet seen the light will be awe-struck by what Abrashoff accomplished. Solid, experienced leaders will see this book as more of a case study and a reinforcement of what they're already doing. As I have observed today's military leaders-as a citizen and as a consultant who has had the privilege of working with military leaders, the "system" is not as counterproductive as the author would lead us to believe. Bureaucracy is still bureaucracy, but Abrashoff is not alone in his practice of leadership skills.
Abrashoff applied leadership skills on his ship to achieve significant measurable results. I'm glad he documented his achievements so others might be inspired. I noted that he compared and linked his military experiences and perspectives to civilian applications. Through relationships with Fast Company magazine and other organizations, this author is now giving speeches and probably consulting. This book and the attendant publicity could be viewed as effective tools to position him as a sought-after speaker.
In all fairness, while the leadership principles and anecdotes from the USS Benfold are certainly present, this book struck me as more of an autobiography of the growth of a leader. For a treatise about leadership and considering the title, I was surprised to see such heavy use of first person pronouns in the writing.
Company owners and senior executives will find the book valuable as a case study of one man's experience. Managers will learn principles and techniques that can substantially improve their performance. Some readers will feel reinforced; others will feel discomforted by the heavy sense of ego and rationalization. It's a shame that Abrashoff did not choose to stay in the Navy to effect those changes he says are so needed; instead he left the service to write a book focused on two years of his work and hit the lecture circuit.
(From quoting Roger Herman, USA)
Target readers:
Executives, managers, entrepreneurs, government and non-profit leaders, professionals, leadership trainers, MBAs, anyone else interested in the topic of effective leadership.
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D. Michael Abrashoff served for almost twenty years in the U.S. Navy, culminating in a tour of duty as captain of the $1 billion warship USS Benfold. After leaving the navy, he wrote a bestseller about progressive leadership called It’s Your Ship. He lectures to business audiences around the country.
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From Publisher
Naval captain D. Michael Abrashoff reveals the management principles that shaped his ship, the U.S.S. Benfold, into a model of leadership as progressive as any celebrated in the business world.The most important 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. Navys 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 Abrashoffs 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 explains, the more people enjoy the process, the better the results. Good leaders listen to the people under their commandand use their ideas to improve operating procedures.
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| View all 9 comments |
Howard Rothman (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
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 ideas 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; create 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. |
Al Chase (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
On several occasions in the past, I have written about Capt. D. Michael Abrashoff, USN (Ret.). Mike has made the transition from being a decorated and acclaimed naval officer to offering his leadership insights to business leaders. His newsletter - available on his Website at www.grassrootsleadership.com - is one I look forward to reading each month.
Capt. Abrashoff has authored two fascinating books that I have devoured and now look forward to sharing with you. I offer them as a one-two punch! In this posting I will review his first best seller: It's Your Ship - Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy. Later this week I will offer my thoughts on the sequel.
By his own account, Mike Abrashoff was dragged reluctantly to the enlightened conning tower where he now stands and from which vantage point he offers advice to those who desire to grow as leaders. As a young officer, Abrashoff was like many newly-minted Annapolis graduates, passing along the command and control ethos that he had absorbed and that has been the hallmark of military "leadership" for generations. As XO aboard the Shiloh, he learned a signal and indelible lesson in command when he unthinkingly passed down the chain of command an order that eventuated in a sailor falling asleep while standing watch - an egregious offense aboard a warship.
"Well, this was an open-and-shut case - if you are asleep on watch, you are guilty. There was no need to bother about the facts. So, I sent the sailor to the captain for punishment, without any further investigation.
To my utter surprise, the captain asked the sailor why he had fallen asleep on watch. The sailor said he had been up all night cleaning a dirty workspace. Why did he have to stay up to clean it? Because the chief told him it had to be done by 8:00 A.M."
As the investigation continued and the chain of orders found it's way back to Abrashoff, the department head told the captain: "The XO told me to get it done by 8 A.M."
Abrashoff shares the lessons he learned that memorable day:
"How in the world could I have known that they were so short-handed that they would have to keep someone up all night to get it finished? But in fact I should have known or at least been approachable enough for the officers to feel safe explaining to me why it was a problematic order. I didn't get all the facts; I didn't realize that there were not enough resources to get the job done in the time I had allowed. The captain dismissed the case and I felt like a complete idiot. Never again, I promised myself, would I give an order without clearly articulating the goal, providing the time and resources to get it done, and ensuring that my crew had the proper training to do it right." (Pages 34-35)
That watershed moment in Captain Abrashoff's career led him to make many adjustments in his view of leadership, his willingness to listen, his approach to the chain of command, and his commitment to champion the cause of his people so that they could be equipped for success. The pinnacle of his career as a naval officer was commanding the USS Benfold in the Persian Gulf and seeing his ship transformed from a dysfunctional amalgamation of misfits and malcontents into a proud vessel that was awarded the Spokane Trophy, emblematic of the best ship in the Pacific Fleet.
In this book, Abrashoff recounts many of the lessons he learned along the way - lessons that are all immediately applicable to any business or organization. He manages to tell the story of his own development as a leader and the development of his shipmates without coming across as arrogant. Clearly, the unapproachable Abrashoff of page 35 somehow transformed himself into a very approachable and engaging leader who not only set a high standard for his own crew, but offers transferable lessons to business leaders willing to listen and read.
Each chapter treats one leadership lesson or principle and fleshes out the abstract ideas with stories of the men and women who were the crew that brought about the transformation of the Benfold.
Take Command
Lead By Example
Listen Aggressively
Communicate Purpose and Meaning
Create a Climate of Trust
Look for Results, not Salutes
Take Calculated Risks
Go Beyond Standard Procedure
Build Up Your People
Generate Unity
Improve Your People's Quality of Life
I had two over-arching reactions to the book. First, was a realization that all of these lessons can be boiled down into a simple dictum and recipe for success: Set high standards for yourself and your people, create an environment that challenges them
to embrace those standards as their own, and then train, equip, encourage and communicate with your people in such a way that you empower their success.
Second, this approach to excellence and leadership is very reminiscent of the
principles of leadership I have heard articulated by my friends who have flown and taught at the Navy's Top Gun school.
Abrashoff's style of writing is one that I enjoy. His use of colorful and apt metaphors raises the quality of the writing above the level of most leadership books I have encountered. By way of encouraging you to read this book, I share the closing paragraph:
"In business, I have encountered many companies with the kind of bad habits and poor leadership that troubled Benfold when I first went aboard. Too many company departments appear blind to what they could accomplish together. Bereft of good leadership, they are trapped in needless bickering, politics and posturing, with predictable damage to the bottom line. And yet unity of purpose is quite achievable, even against heavy odds, and sometimes because of them. We created unity on Benfold. The U.S. military did it in Afghanistan. I am convinced that businesses everywhere can do the same. After all, it's our ship."
Enjoy reading this book, and bon voyage! |
Dolf Robelli (MSL quote), Switzerland
<2007-01-30 00:00>
Like many books on leadership from nonbusiness walks of life, this sea tale offers a refreshing new perspective. U.S. Navy Captain D. Michael Abrashoff explains how he and his crew turned their under-performing vessel into the pride of the Pacific Fleet. His colorful, somewhat self-promotional style of storytelling makes it enjoyable, especially for those who are curious about life on a guided missile destroyer. What is less clear, however, is how to apply the Captain's lessons from a naval vessel to the business of running an ordinary corporation. "Generate unity" and "build up your people" are noble maxims, but how do you apply them in a corporate environment where the greatest threat often stems from friendly fire? In any case, the Captain offers engaging stories about how he steered the USS Benfold back on course. We recommend his book to executives and students of management who appreciate an anecdotal approach to shipshape leadership.
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Robert Navarro (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-30 00:00>
Michael Abrashoff has a very enlightened view of treating people and I found that very refreshing. However, while his methodology is commendable, it was applied in a context of a "closed" environment. And, most of the tasks on the ship were of a repetitive nature, which means that by practicing sufficiently and hard enough it was possible to improve and attain a higher proficiency rating. The military command structure is also tighter, and the ship operates in a real life-and-death situation since it is a combat vessel geared for the possibility of a war mission.
A competitive and aggressive style of leadership as exemplified by Mr. Abrashoff demands a consistent and firm system of rewards and retributions-something that does not exist at American corporations. Trying to apply his leadership style In American industries is very difficult because they operate in an "open" environment. Thus, if a corporation has a "loose cannon" or someone fails to deliver as promised, there are no real consequences that occur as a result of these actions. Also, most of the tasks that are undertaken at corporations usually only have a single opportunity in which to accomplish them.
The bottom line is that you can follow this style of leadership, and that it will probably yield results within the confines of a small group. And, maybe some of this attitude can affect other groups with whom this group interacts. It's worth a shot, especially since everything else has already been tried by American corporations.
Finally, I found an interesting omission at the end of his book. In the "Acknowledgements" section he forgot to specifically acknowledge his crew members aboard the Benfold. I thought that they deserved special mention and recognition for the role that they played in the outcome of his management model.
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