Leadership lessons occur in many arenas, not just business. Take a few minutes for one such story. “Michael Abrashoff was in his mid-thirties when he took command of the USS Benfold, a guided missile destroyer and one of the worst-performing ships in the navy. Despite her potency, the “dysfunctional ship had a sullen crew that resented being there and could not wait to get out of the Navy.” By the time he left, less than three years later, Benfold had become the highest-performing ship and retention was amazing. And he did it all without changing a member of the crew.”
The key lessons from Captain Abrashoff’s turnaround are provided in an executive summary on the Farnum Street Blog’s Lessons on Leadership: Michael Abrashoff on Turning the Worst Ship in the Navy into the Best. After reading this, you may want to listen to an in-depth interview with Captain Abrashoff by clicking here.
The whole story of this remarkable achievement is set forth in his book “It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy.”
