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'S SPEAKING FEE $25K - $40K

When Mike Abrashoff took command of the USS Benfold, the ship’s performance ranked at rock-bottom. Worse—the crew didn’t feel safe should they be called into action. Determined to improve performance, but without the power to hire, fire or promote personnel, Abrashoff focused on what he could change: the ship’s culture. His innovative approach broke from the traditional command-and-control leadership style and sought to see the ship from the eyes of his crew—creating a guiding set of principles he calls Grassroots Leadership. When crew members asked Abrashoff to solve a problem, his response became, “It’s your ship—what would you do?” The result was an empowered and engaged team that turned the ship into the Navy’s top performer. People at every level in business relate to Abrashoff’s dilemma: being held accountable for results without having the ability to make the rules. His results-oriented approach equips organizations with the strategies, tactics and tools necessary to unleash innovation, lead significant change and increase operational performance. Publications from Fast Company to The Harvard Business Review have heralded this remarkable story—and Abrashoff’s first book, It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, is a best seller with nearly 1 million copies in print. In 2012, the much anticipated 10th anniversary edition of It’s Your Ship was released with updated content and a new chapter.

Featured Videos

Mike Abrashoff on It’s Your Ship

Mike Abrashoff on Valuing Your Team

Mike Abrashoff Talks Process Matters as Much as People

Mike Abrashoff’s Speech Topics

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.
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.
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.

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

Excellent presentation AND presenter. Captain Abrashoff was very believable…REAL! Captain Abrashoff’s ideas of leadership could be used within any organization. This was an excellent motivational talk!!
Health Care

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

Mike Abrashoff was an outstanding speaker and really connected with the audience. Not only was he wonderful to listen to, but his messages resonated.
Non-Profit

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

The “day after” is over and the impact is reverberating throughout the organization. The feedback was clear – your presentation ranked #1 for most valuable – just above our CEO! I truly appreciate the effort you obviously made to incorporate our issues and to position the call to action for them as leaders of teams.
Technology

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

[Mike Abrashoff] was fantastic! He was extremely generous with his time, and he was absolutely the right person for what we wanted to accomplish.
Oil & Gas

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

Mike Abrashoff was super! He was a great storyteller, funny, and tied the message to our business throughout. It was so relevant to exactly what our organization needs right now and I have received nothing but rave reviews.
Food

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

Mike Abrashoff was terrific. His message resonated with our members. He was also so easy to work with. The best way to describe his presentation is the book signing. It is the first time that we have sold out the books of the keynoter!
Government

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

Mike Abrashoff’s remarkable story regarding the transformation of USS Benfold was extremely well received and appreciated by our event participants, who found great inspiration and practicality in his remarks. These are challenging times for many and his perspective on leadership and leading during difficult times is timely as well as thought provoking.
Financial Services

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

Both Mike Abrashoff and Rich Karlgaard were great!!! We couldn’t have asked for better speakers for our meeting and agents.
Financial Services

What other organizations say about Mike Abrashoff

Everything went great! Mike Abrashoff was probably the best speaker we have ever had at one of our events!
Financial Services

Works by Mike Abrashoff

Mike Abrashoff
It’s Your Ship
Mike Abrashoff
It’s Our Ship
Mike Abrashoff
Get Your Ship Together

Speaker Topics & Types

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