Publications from Fast Company to the Harvard Business Review have called it one of the most remarkable examples of organizational transformation:  Mike Abrashoff took command of the worst-performing Navy ship in the Pacific Fleet and made it #1in twelve months – using the very same crew.  In many ways, the ship was actually an extreme example of the same problems facing many organizations today.  What drove the success was Abrashoff’s realization that if things were going to improve, the first thing that needed to change was his own leadership style.  He began a determined effort to see the ship from the eyes of his crew – and then rethink how to lead and break from the traditional command and control model.   When crew members asked him to solve a problem, his response became, “It’s your ship - what would YOU do?” The result was an empowered culture and an engaged team who set new benchmarks for performance.  Abrashoff’s speeches challenge people to re-imagine their own leadership thinking and instill a renewed responsibility for results and success. Audiences relate to Abrashoff’s dilemma: being held accountable for results in an environment where rules and regulations pose significant obstacles.  His presentation equips people with the strategies, tactics and tools necessary to unleash breakthrough performance and extraordinary results in spite of the odds.   Abrashoff’s first book, It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, remains a best seller with 850,000 copies currently in print.

At the age of 36, the Navy selected Michael Abrashoff to become Commander of USS Benfold - at the time, the most junior commanding officer in the Pacific Fleet. The immediate challenges that faced him on this underperforming Naval war ship were staggering: exceptionally low morale, high turnover and unacceptably low performance evaluations. Few thought that this ship could improve. In many ways, the USS Benfold was actually an extreme example of the same problems facing many organizations today.

The solution was to establish a system of management techniques that Abrashoff calls The Leadership Roadmap. At the core of his leadership approach on Benfold was a process of replacing command and control with commitment and cohesion, and by engaging the hearts, minds, and loyalties of workers - with conviction and humility. "The most important thing that a captain can do is to see the ship through the eyes of the crew." According to Abrashoff, The Leadership Roadmap is a practice that empowers every individual to share the responsibility of achieving excellence. "It's your ship," he was known to say. His former sailors to this day still remind him of it.

By every measure, these principles were able to achieve breakthrough results. Personnel turnover decreased to an unprecedented 1 percent. The rate of military promotions tripled, and the crew slashed operating expenses by 25 percent. Regarded as the finest ship in the Pacific Fleet, Benfold won the prestigious Spokane Trophy for having the highest degree of combat readiness. Most important – this transformation took place with the same crew.  What had changed was the ship’s culture and Abrashoff’s leadership style.

Abrashoff recounted the leadership lessons from the turnaround of USS Benfold in It's Your Ship, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, with over 800,000 copies sold to date.  This extraordinary interest in Abrashoff’s leadership journey and Benfold’s organizational lessons led to two follow-up books – Get Your Ship Together and It’s Our Ship.  Those books took readers deeper into ways these principles have been put into action by business leaders in their own organizations.  Michael is also a nationally know leadership keynote speaker.

Prior to commanding USS Benfold, Abrashoff served as the Military Assistant to Secretary of Defense William J. Perry. He also helped draft the air defense plan for naval forces in the Persian Gulf in 1990, coinciding with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait; and served as the Executive Officer of the Cruiser Shiloh, where he deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq.

Mike Abrashoff is the founder of GLS Worldwide, a consulting firm which works with and supports leaders as they address leadership, talent and business challenges within their organization.  The firm challenges leaders at all levels to re-imagine their leadership thinking and create new ways to elevate individual, team and organizational performance.

It's Your Ship - Achieving Breakthrough Performance
This inspiring talk is based on the vital leadership lessons Abrashoff learned as he led the remarkable turnaround of USS Benfold and her crew. The first lesson: before the ship's performance could improve, his own leadership style had to change. His credo: "What would YOU do?  It's YOUR ship!", created a high performance culture and empowered his crew to take charge and use ingenuity and initiative to improve the way things were done. Abrashoff leaves audiences with the same tools and inspiration to lead differently and elevate organizational performance to new levels.

It's Our Ship - Putting the Leadership Roadmap to Work
For organizations who want a deeper understanding of grassroots leadership and want to take those principles to the next level, Mike Abrashoff addresses the challenges most on the minds of leaders in these challenging times.  This speech is about creating a high performance culture where everyone takes ownership and responsibility using real lessons from the business world and focus on innovation, accountability and engagement.

Take Action Breakout Session
Meant to deepen the learning from Mike Abrashoff's keynote talk, Take Action sessions provide attendees with additional powerful tools and strategies to apply in their work environment. Facilitated by a senior strategist from Abrashoff's firm, GLS Worldwide, and taking place immediately following the keynote, Take Action sessions create an exciting atmosphere that examines the key components of high performing leaders, teams and organizations. Participants will experience innovative, fast-paced individual and group exercises tailored to the leadership and cultural issues most relevant to the organization.