When Captain D. Michael Abrashoff took command of the USS Benfold, morale was low and performance lagged. Within months, it became the Navy’s top-rated ship, all without extra funding or personnel. His approach was to replace micromanagement with trust and ownership. Abrashoff listened to his crew, acted on their ideas, and treated everyone as partners in success. By emphasizing communication, accountability, and empowerment, he showed that leadership begins with self-awareness and service to others.
Through vivid stories, he illustrates how small cultural shifts such as listening, recognizing effort, and setting clear expectations drive exceptional results. It’s Your Ship is a manifesto for leading with respect, empathy, and purpose. When people genuinely believe it’s their ship, they will do whatever it takes to make it the best one afloat.
"It’s a very pragmatic book about what leadership means, and I’ve really taken that to heart and tried to emulate that a lot. It has nothing to do with technology per se, but everything to do with what leadership looks like within the organization.”