Mike Abrashoff
Mike Abrashoff Talks Process Matters as Much as People
Mike Abrashoff
Keynote Speaker
Former Navy Commander, USS Benfold; Author, It's Your Ship
Mike Abrashoff was the most-junior officer in the Pacific fleet when he took command of the near-worst performing ship. Twelve months later, the USS Benfold was the best ship in the entire navy – using the same crew. The story of that stunning transformation has lessons for every organization: leadership matters – and culture is everything. Mike's first book, It's Your Ship, is legendary and has sold over 1.2 million copies.
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Mike Abrashoff'S SPEAKING FEE $25K - $40K
Mike Abrashoff, a distinguished former Navy commander, is best known for his transformative leadership aboard the USS Benfold, turning it into a model of naval efficiency and morale. His approach, centered on empowerment and accountability, demonstrates a revolutionary way of leading, applicable both in and beyond the military context. Abrashoff’s philosophy, “It’s Your Ship,” emphasizes the importance of respecting each team member’s potential and fostering an environment where innovation and initiative thrive.
In his engaging presentations, Abrashoff shares the principles that led to his extraordinary success, including effective communication, leading by example, and the critical role of trust in leadership. His storytelling, enriched with real-life scenarios from his naval career, provides vivid illustrations of how these principles can be applied to improve any organization’s performance.
Choosing Mike Abrashoff for your event means inviting a speaker who will not only captivate your audience with stories from the high seas but also equip them with practical leadership tools. Attendees will leave inspired to take ownership, challenge the status quo, and drive significant change within their teams and organizations.
Featured Videos
Mike Abrashoff
Mike Abrashoff on It’s Your Ship
Mike Abrashoff
Mike Abrashoff on Valuing Your Team
Mike Abrashoff
Mike Abrashoff Talks Process Matters as Much as People
Mike Abrashoff’s Speech Topics
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It’s Your Ship – Achieving Breakthrough Performance
When Mike Abrashoff took command of the USS Benfold, morale was low, turnover was high and the ship’s performance ranked near the bottom of the Pacific Fleet. Just twelve months later Benfold was ranked #1 – using the very same crew. The lesson was clear – leadership matters and culture is everything. This inspiring talk is for every individual and organization looking for practical and usable ways to take organizational performance to new heights. In Mike’s case, he realized that before the ship’s performance could change, he had to change his leadership style. Mike worked to create a culture of trust and empower his crew to take charge and use ingenuity and initiative to improve every aspect of the way things were done. Top down leadership is dead, so when the crew would present a problem, Mike became famous for responding “What would YOU do? It’s YOUR ship!” Mike’s presentation leaves audiences with the tools and inspiration to accomplish big goals.
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The Virtual Leader’s Roadmap
Mike Abrashoff had to change his leadership mindset when he took over the near-worst performing ship in the Navy. The situation was dire. If performance did not improve, sailors could have gotten injured…or worse. In response, Mike quickly adopted a new set of principles to guide a new way of leading. His focus was on building trust and authentic ways of engaging. It was about listening to and empowering his crew who then went on to make the USS Benfold the best ship in the entire U.S. Navy. These very same principles are the foundation of success for organizations that embrace working virtually. In the short term, many organizations have found virtual work arrangements actually increase effectiveness of employees. That effectiveness may not be sustainable if leaders and organizations don’t master a new skill-set of how to lead people they can’t see. It’s about measuring results – not activity; and about finding ways to let people know their efforts are appreciated. Those who succeed in leading in the virtual environment will create a decisive competitive advantage.
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No Limits – Don’t Let Goals Become Limitations
Sometimes in our professional lives we might think we are in a battle to beat an adversary or a competitor when in actuality we are really in competition with ourselves but just haven’t figured it out yet. When battling the competition, you want to come out on top, if only by one more sale or maybe a few percentage points. Other times, someone at a higher level gives you a goal based on some median expectation set for others. When Mike Abrashoff took command of a well below-average ship in the U.S. Navy, his goal was to get to average. He initially set average goals and expectations for himself and his crew until one day it dawned on him: his ship could be much better than just average. It was Mike’s eureka moment: realizing they weren’t in competition with anyone but themselves. To be their best they had to stop putting limits on what they believed was possible. That realization changed Mike Abrashoff’s approach to leadership and led the same crew to accomplish one of the most remarkable turnarounds that was chronicled in the Harvard Business Review , Fast Company magazine and Mike’s New York Times’ and Wall Street Journal bestselling book, IT’S YOUR SHIP. This presentation will challenge audiences to think differently on how to set expectations while realizing the only limits that you have are self-imposed.
Works by Mike Abrashoff
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Mike Abrashoff
It’s Your Ship -
Mike Abrashoff
It’s Our Ship -
Mike Abrashoff
Get Your Ship Together
Speaker Topics & Types
- Authors
- Business Speakers
- Business Consulting Speakers
- Change Management Speakers
- Courage Speakers
- Leadership Speakers
- Military Speakers
- Military Leadership Speakers
- Navy Speakers
- Peak Performance Speakers
- Personal Growth Speakers
- Productivity Speakers
- Public Speakers
- Storytelling Speakers
- Teamwork Speakers
- Veteran Speakers
- Virtual Speakers
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