It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, 10th Anniversary Edition
About this product
The legendary New York Times bestselling tale of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today's uncertain business seas.
When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of USS Benfold, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity. Knowing that responsibility for improving performance rested with him, he realized he had to improve his own leadership skills before he could improve his ship. Within months, he created a crew of confident and inspired problem-solvers eager to take the initiative and responsibility for their actions. The slogan on board became "It's your ship," and Benfold was soon recognized far and wide as a model of naval efficiency. How did Abrashoff do it? Against the backdrop of today's United States Navy, Abrashoff shares his secrets of successful management including:
See the ship through the eyes of the crew: By soliciting a sailor's suggestions, Abrashoff drastically reduced tedious chores that provided little additional value.
Communicate, communicate, communicate: The more Abrashoff communicated the plan, the better the crew's performance. His crew eventually started calling him "Megaphone Mike," since they heard from him so often.
Create discipline by focusing on purpose: Discipline skyrocketed when Abrashoff's crew believed that what they were doing was important.
Listen aggressively: After learning that many sailors wanted to use the GI Bill, Abrashoff brought a test official aboard the ship-and held the SATs forty miles off the Iraqi coast.
From achieving amazing cost savings to winning the highest gunnery score in the Pacific Fleet, Captain Abrashoff's extraordinary campaign sent shock waves through the U.S. Navy. It can help you change the course of your ship, no matter where your business battles are fought.
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Editor's Take
Review sentiment for this book is mostly positive, with many readers praising its practical leadership advice, easy readability, and real-world examples from Navy command. Amazon reviewers appear strongly favorable overall, and Goodreads ratings also suggest broad approval from many readers.
Some readers are more critical, saying the book leans too much on the author’s ship story and reads more like a memoir or self-promotion than a pure management guide. On Goodreads and other review communities, a minority of reviewers say they wanted more directly actionable leadership techniques.
On Reddit and similar forums, the book is commonly discussed as a worthwhile leadership/business read, especially for managers, military readers, and people interested in team culture. Review blogs tend to describe it as practical, engaging, and easy to finish, though sometimes repetitive in its core lessons.
YouTube search results included a few videos that appear genuinely about this exact book, including a leadership book review and related author/lecture videos. The most clearly review-focused result was a video titled BEST Leadership Book - It's Your Ship Review, and another review-style result was Business Book Review: It's Your Ship.
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Specifications
| Topic | Leadership |
Product Details
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
| Publication date | October 9, 2012 |
| Edition | 10th Anniversary Revised & Updated |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 240 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 145552302X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1455523023 |
| Item Weight | 15.7 ounces |
| Dimensions | 6.25 x 1.01 x 9.3 inches |
| Best Sellers Rank | #9,601 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #15 in Naval Military History #63 in Communication & Social Skills (Books) #71 in Business Management (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (4,428) |
