At the
age of 36, Mike Abrashoff was selected to become Commander of the U.S.S.
Benfold, which made him the most junior commanding officer in the Pacific Fleet
at the time. The challenges were staggering with exceptionally low morale and
unacceptably high turnover.
Few thought that this ship could improve, but Mike only became more
resolved. In some ways, it is an extreme example of the same problems facing
many organizations today. “In my induction ceremony, my predecessor left
to cheers. They were actually clapping. I knew then that command and control
leadership was dead.”
“A lot of people do whatever it takes to secure the next
promotion. All I ever wanted to do in the Navy was to command a ship. I did not
care if I ever got promoted again. And that attitude enabled me to do the right
things for my people instead of doing the right things for my career. Along the
way, it was my people that created the results that ensured my next
promotion.”
The solution was a system of beliefs that Mike calls Grass Roots
Leadership, which is a process of replacing command and control with commitment
and cohesion by engaging the hearts, minds and loyalties of workers – a
belief that Mike achieves with conviction and humility. “The most
important thing that a captain can do is to see the ship through the eyes of
the crew.” This meant interviewing every single person on his ship, from
the most senior officer to the lowest recruit. It was an experience that began
to generate invaluable ideas, often from unexpected sources.
Grass Roots Leadership is a principle that empowers every individual
to share the responsibility of achieving excellence. “It’s your
ship,” Mike was known to say. To this day, his former sailors still remind
him of it.
Mike’s leadership skills have been honed through a number of
challenging roles. Prior to commanding the U.S.S. Benfold, Mike served as the
military assistant to the Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Dr. William J.
Perry. In this demanding role, Mike accompanied the Secretary of Defense
throughout the world on critical missions of national security.
Other experiences that have influenced Mike’s leadership skills
include helping to draft the air defense plan for naval forces in the Persian
Gulf in 1990, coinciding with Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait; and serving as
the executive officer of the Cruiser Shiloh, where he traveled to the Persian
Gulf in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq.
Mike’s book, It’s Your Ship, is a fascinating tale
of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today’s uncertain
business seas. His latest book is Get Your Ship Together.
Mike is originally from Altoona, Pennsylvania and is a 1982 graduate
of the Naval Academy of Annapolis. He currently lives in Virginia.
