Customer Reviews

Get Your Ship Together: How Great Leaders Inspire Ownership from the Keel

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If you read Commander Abrashoff's first book, save yourself some time -- skip this one. My own experience as a Navy officer made the Commander's first book uniquely appealing. If I had served under a commanding officer like him, I would still be in uniform.

Instead showcasing new leaders and new ideas, every chapter of the sequel informs us how the subject of the story brilliantly implemented the Commander's ideas - and giving us a new story or two about HIS ship to prove it. Instead of a cast of inspiring lead characters, the "Great Leaders" of the title are reduced to minor supporting roles.

While his first book gave a memorable presentation of management and leadership ideas, he didn't invent them. I have read the same principles in various forms in dozens of other books and articles over the years. Commander Abrashoff missed an opportunity to make waves with these tales, instead sailing back through the same waters that he covered before.

This book has single handedly turned my business (45 people so far) from a company of complainers to a culture of ownership. I purchased 14 books had weekly meetings using the chapters of the book as examples and allowed my people to take ownership of their own destiny. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK to any business owner struggling with how to turn a company culture and point it in the right direction!

Concept actualized! In this follow-up to It's Your Ship, Abrashoff tells of six leaders who embody the ideals of grassroots leadership. This book allowed me to see how the concepts described in the first book could prove invaluable to any setting - be it battleships or bakeries! Abrashoff also weaves in more personal experiences, rounding out what is a must read for any leader in today's business world! Since embracing Abrashoff's leadership techniques in my own business and passing out copies of his books to my employees, I have never seen so much productivity and PRIDE on a daily basis! I have empowered my team and challenged them to be their best. I never could have imagined how incredible their best would be. Abrashoff's ideas have permanently changed my view of leadership and infinitely improved my business!

Mike Abrashoff has followed up his superb first book, It's Your Ship, with this new study of six leaders from the public and private sectors who have used grassroots leadership styles to achieve great things. Each of the profiles includes numerous stories of effective leadership and empowerment. The chapters about Captain Al Collins (US Navy), and about Ward Clapham of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, are particularly inspirational. Throughout the narrative Abrashoff adds his own excellent insights as well as a number of new stories from his tour as Commander of the USS Benfold.

Since leaving the Navy, Mike Abrashoff has set sail on a second career that includes leadership consulting, speaking and writing - helping those in the world of commerce to navigate the tricky currents of competition, change, and corporate complacency. His latest book follows in the wake of his best seller that I reviewed yesterday, and chronicles heroes from business and the military as they demonstrate the practical wisdom of leading through building teams of committed employees. "Get Your Ship Together - How Great Leaders Inspire Ownership from the Keel Up," offers six portraits of leaders who "get everyone to buy into the cause and accept personal responsibility for the organization."

I found this book to be both inspiring and full of practical wisdom. The six leaders whose leadership stories Abrashoff shares are different enough in temperament, context and in the specific challenges they face that it becomes clear that the book's leadership principles truly are universal in their application.

· First Lieutenant Gabriel "Buddy" Gengler was faced with transforming a platoon of soldiers trained to launch rockets into a band of street-fighting urban guerillas.

· Trish Karter of Dancing Deer Bakery in Roxbury, MA had to find a recipe for building a team that shared her vision of delivering a balanced diet of world-class cakes and cookies, healthy profits and community involvement as the icing on the cake!

· Roger Valine is CEO of Vision Service Plan in Rancho Cordova, CA. Roger has been able to see his way clear to build an enterprise that has cornered the market on eye-care benefit plans while creating an atmosphere that focuses on giving his employees a healthy lifestyle balance between work and family.

· Al Collins rose from the backwater of Warner Robins, GA to sail the seas as Captain of the USS Fitzgerald. During his voyage to his role as a naval officer and inspiring leader, he learned to apply his mother's words of advice spoken as he prepared to leave the Deep South: "You'll never be a great leader until you're a great follower."

· Laura Folse leads a team of 700 scientists and engineers at BP - a rare female leader in the male dominated world of oil exploration. Laura has fueled her success at BP with an unshakable determination to use her staff as consultative partners who share accountability for the success of each project. Her approach has tapped a deep reservoir of trust and loyalty among her team members.

· Ward Clapham of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has pioneered "smart policing" across Canada. In the course of learning to work alongside community leaders to refine police priorities and procedures, Mountie Ward was forced to mount several challenges against the entrenched bureaucracy of those above him in the RCP chain of command.

The overarching impression I have after having read and absorbed the stories of these six very different leaders is that great leadership can happen anywhere - in any setting, in any context, in any company - as long as the leader is willing to share the vision, the responsibility and the credit with her team.

I trust you will enjoy this book as much as I did. Anchors aweigh!

Al

There seems to be uproar about the use of "I" and "my" in Captain Abrashoff's books. There is no "we" for a Captain of a U.S. Navy vessel... the buck stops at the commander's desk. The commander cannot say "we (they, he, she, all of them, etc...) screwed up", the Captain has to step forward and take it on the chin. (This is especially true in the U.S. Navy. Please see action reports on Navy vessels that have run aground).

Captain Abrashoff used the principles of teamwork and reward to get what he needed to accomplish and that was to have a top-notch war machine ready to go. He gives full credit to those in his command for their performance, and praises those who rose to the task. That is exactly what a great leader does - and that is why Captain Abrashoff was, and is, a successful leader.

As for relating back to his prior book in his current book(s) - he does not ask you to buy it, he uses it a foundation of his points. Instead, he shares examples that he can relate to within his plane of experience. Much the way we do when we share third party experiences.

I have tremendous respect for this man, and I hope my grandchildren serve under such a man as Captain Abrashoff. Godspeed to you, Sir.

Michael Abrashoff first gained business notoriety with his first book, It's Your Ship, where he presented the leadership model he used during his very successful Navy career and more specifically as Skipper of the USS Benfold (DDG 65). In his follow up book, GET YOUR SHIP TOGETHER, Abrashoff, who now serves as the CEO of Grassroots Leadership, outlines the leadership principles of six other successful leaders (2 military & 4 civilian).

Each one of the five individuals profiled here has a tremendous amount of leadership knowledge to pass on. While each person and each situation is uniquely different, there exists a commonality revolving around servant leadership. Although I don't know that any one of the five would describe themselves as servant leaders, that is the common thread you will see that has helped make each one a success.

"Buddy" Gengler is an Army 1st Lt. that served in Iraq. He commanded an artillery force that got their primary mission recalibrated to that of being a quick reaction force; something they weren't trained to be. Not only did they perform their mission flawlessly under Gengler `s leadership, but he brought each and every person under his command home safely. The main thing I took away from reading about Buddy Gengler is that as a leader, you can't possibly know everything. Know when it is time to seek outside help to bring your team up to speed.

Trish Karter is the co-founder and CEO of Dancing Deer Baking Company in Boston. Karter's mission with Dancing Deer is to show what a positive force small business can be. Most of the focus here is on Trish's team building ability and the steps and bumps along the way to making this small business a national success. Trish gives her team leadership that centers around personal relationships and caring deeply for each individual, but that leadership is also tempered with just the right amount of tough love.

Next Abrashoff profiles Roger Valine, the former CEO of Vision Service Plan (VSP), the country's largest eye-care benefits plan provider. Fresh out of college at Cal State, Valine went to work for VSP as a manager trainee in 1973 and worked his way up the ladder to become CEO in 1992 until his retirement in 2008. During his 16 year tenure as CEO, he was highly accessible to his employees, preferring even to be addressed as Rog by every employee. Again, we see a leader who was very caring and personally involved with his people, but also very firm when it was warranted.

Abrashoff then goes on to chronicle the career of one of his old shipmates, Al Collins. Collins took the words of mother who told him, "You'll never be a great leader until you're a great follower." and began a Navy career that took him from an enlisted Boatswains Mate recruit to full bird Captain and Skipper of the USS Fitzgerald. You can almost say Collins "learned" his way to the top. He led his crew with great compassion, but also expected great results.

Alchemist Laura Folse is a VP at British Petroleum; a position in an industry with an almost impenetrable glass ceiling for female executives. Laura began her career with Amoco who was later bought by BP, and worked her way up to VP of technology. Her leadership excites her people to adopt her vision and follow her toward a common goal. The main thing I took away from Laura's story is that real leaders aren't afraid to follow; almost an identical message to what Al Collin's mother taught him.

The book concludes with OIC Ward Clapham of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Yes, I know, you probably just had a vision of Dudley Do-Right saving Nell from Dirty Dick Dastardly, but in the real world, just like any police force, the RCMP faces tremendous challenges. Ward Clapham introduces his officers to a type of policing that involved community involvement that has now become an accepted practice throughout the RCMP. The main leadership principle I took away here is that real change comes from evolution not revolution.

Throughout the book, Abrashoff injects his own experience from his distinguished Navy career. I've read a ton of leadership books and I have to list this one as one of the best. The principles detailed are presented in such as way as to applicable and there is definitely something here that any leader can apply. This is just good stuff.

Excellent book on providing team building skills. Practical everyday leadership. It's proof when you get involved with others you can make a huge impact. This is a great read but I challenge everyone to also read, "It's Our Ship". These two books together are like the dynamic duo in leadership.

D. Michael Abrashoff commanded the USS Benfold, a billion-dollar U.S. Navy warship. His first day of command nearly became his last. Due to an engineering error, the ship suddenly lost power as it prepared to leave San Diego Bay. Dead in the water, the 8,300-ton vessel could have incurred severe harm, including damage to its $5-million submerged sonar dome. Fortunately, its engineers quickly restored power and the ship sailed safely. Abrashoff vowed never to let such an occurrence take place on a ship of his again. Night and day, he and his crew practiced drills and procedures so they would be able to handle any situation or emergency. This intense training paid big dividends. The Benfold transformed itself from an engineering failure to - by U.S. Navy citation - the Pacific Fleet's best ship. Abrashoff's leadership techniques, which focused on helping his crew members become experts at their jobs, have parallels in every military unit and civilian organization. Abrashoff spotlights six superb leaders, both military and nonmilitary, and explains the 18 leadership lessons that enabled them to surpass their goals. getAbstract believes these tried-and-true principles can help you sail to your leadership goals as well.

This book was referred to me by an arson investigation instructor I once had. This book was unbelievable. It's not often that you read a book that is basically about management and employee motivation that you can't put down, but this is one of them.