Mike Abrashoff

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 the 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.

For organizations that want to get serious about improving performance, this presentation delivers examples of the Mike’s Leadership Roadmap in action. Mike reveals how the principles that led the transformation of the USS Benfold have been put into action at companies and organizations looking to harness the power of their most important asset – their people. He shows real leaders achieving dramatic results as they work to address their most pressing people challenges: collaboration, commitment, cohesion, accountability, engagement, rapid and continual innovation, safety and diversity in the workforce. In example after example, the lessons from the Benfold clearly translate across all kinds of organizations – corporations, small business, non-profits and government. Mike shows audiences, by example, how to use their new leadership toolkit. “It’s Our Ship” goes deep into the how-tos of creating a culture where everyone takes ownership and responsibility for taking performance to the next level.

Dive deep into the Leadership Roadmap with a half or full-day program. The 2-hour Take Action session most often used as a follow-on to Mike’s keynote to create a half-day program that provides attendees with powerful tools and strategies to apply in their work environment. Typically facilitated by a senior strategist from Mike’s firm, Aegis Performance Group, Take Action sessions create an exciting interactive atmosphere that examines the key components of high performing leaders, teams and organizations. Full-day sessions with Aegis senior strategists provide an even deeper dive into the practical application of the Leadership Roadmap for the participants and their organizations. Inquire for more details and program descriptions.

Sometimes in our professional lives we believe we are in a battle to beat an adversary or a competitor when in actuality, we are 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. Sometimes, 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 struck him: his ship could be better than average. Mike’s eureka moment was 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 his New York Times’ and Wall Street Journal bestselling book, IT’S YOUR SHIP. Many of Mike’s former crew members have gone on to accomplish great things in their careers. They write to tell him their stories. One of Mike’s sailors just ran for city council of one of the largest cities in the U.S. and he wrote Mike to say, “you gave us the inspiration and confidence to know that there are no limits.” This presentation will challenge you to think differently on how to set expectations while realizing the only limits that you have are self-imposed.

The state of healthcare is not unlike the real-life situation Mike faced when he took command of the USS Benfold. The Navy has its own bureaucracy and traditions. Mike was accountable for results but didn’t make the rules. Worse – he could not hire and fire people, give raises or promotions, and had no choice over his missions. With no control over the external forces impacting his ship, Mike vowed to control what he could influence: his own leadership style and the culture on board. Mike has addressed scores of organizations throughout the healthcare ecosystem. They tell him his experience on the Benfold mirrors what they are experiencing every day. The lessons Mike shares about creating the best ship in the Navy transfer directly to their world. That message is, first and foremost: focus on the things you can influence.

Mike tailors his message for each audience – focusing on their unique challenges and showing practical ways to create an unprecedented level of accountability and ownership among everyone in the organization. This idea of aligning the human element of an organization is fundamental to improving profitability, safety, innovation, and patient outcomes – creating an organization that functions better than anyone imagined.

• What is the key to improving safety in every aspect of the organization?
• How can employee retention rates be improved as a way to increase growth and profitability?
• Working in an environment where so much is out of our control can take an emotional and psychological toll. How can we counteract that to stay focused and take ownership of what can be controlled?
• Non-stop competitive, regulatory, and technological disruption is everywhere. How can manufacturing and heavy industry companies position themselves to adapt more quickly?

Mike CONNECTS WITH Audiences in MANUFACTURING & HEAVY INDUSTRIES

Manufacturing and heavy industry firms can position themselves to succeed in whatever business environment the future might bring by focusing on people and culture. Mike uses his unique, real-life story of taking command of the USS Benfold as a perfect metaphor to inspire audiences in that journey. The Navy has its own bureaucracy and traditions. Mike was accountable for results but didn’t make the rules. He couldn’t hire or fire people, give raises or promotions, and had no choice over his missions. Worse, the Benfold was the near-worst ship in the Navy. With so little control, Mike first felt ill-equipped to improve performance until he vowed to control what he could: his own leadership style and the culture he created on board. Audiences from every corner of the manufacturing and heavy industry world tell Mike his experience on the Benfold mirrors what they are experiencing every day. The lessons he shares about creating the best ship in the Navy are instantly usable. Mike tailors his message for each audience – focusing on their unique challenges and showing practical ways to create an unprecedented level of accountability and ownership among everyone in the organization. This end result is an organization that functions and competes better than anyone imagined.

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.