Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 256 pages
- Published by: Business Plus
- Edition: 1st Edition May 2002
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0446529117
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0446529112
-
Book Dimensions:
9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
- Weighs: 15.2 ounces
Product 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 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.
--Howard Rothman
From AudioFile
Part leadership lesson and part memoir, this compact audio is a testament to the author's understanding of leadership in any large organization. His message is about helping people engage with their mission, which in his case was operating the 8,600-ton guided missile destroyer he commanded in the late 1990s. He advocates respecting people at every level, providing personalized training, and having an orderly system for rewarding high performers with more responsibility. Abrashoff is definitely in command and proud of his story but not lacking in humility and human perspective. Leaders of fast food restaurants and warships alike will be uplifted by his relentless efforts to care for the 310 men and women under his command. T.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
Reader Reviews
I highly recommend this book. It has many specific recommendations and techniques that one can take and immediately apply to any leadership role. The book is well written and reads quickly. However, think it is important to point out a couple of issues. First, the "by line" of the book lists "Captain" Abrashoff as the author. Yet the picture shows him as a "Commander", the next rank below Captain. While it is Naval tradition to call any Commanding Officer Captain, that does not change his actual rank nor does that officer get to keep being called Captain after they leave the Commanding Officer job. It seems to this reader that Captain Abrashoff is indulging in a little self-promotion (pun intended) to give his book a bit more credibility. That brings me to the second point. Mr. Abrashoff is no longer in the Navy and has started a leadership and consulting business. This book is part of the marketing plan that supports that effort. It is a mistake to assume that he is a disinterested Naval Officer who just wants to share some good ideas that he has had with the larger public. Third, while BENFOLD is indeed a great ship with a superb reputation, many of the accomplishments discussed in the book, such as passing the Final Examination Period early, happened in a larger context of changes in the Navy's training cycle. At that particular time, the emphasis was on allowing ships to complete the first third of the cycle (often called the basic phase) as early as possible. This was done so the Commanding Officer could use the remainder of the time and fuel allotted under the basic phase for training that he deemed important. So while Mr. Abrashoff did have quite a lot of success in early completion of training, the larger system was primed to support him. However, despite all these exceptions, the book is extremely useful. As a career Naval Officer, I would recommend this book to anyone about to assume their first command, officer-in-charge, or executive officer billet.
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