Mike Abrashoff

It’s Your Ship – Achieving Breakthrough Performance

This inspiring talk is for every individual and organization looking for practical and usable ways to take organizational performance to new heights. In Mike’s case, he realized that before the USS Benfold’s performance could change, he had to change his leadership style. So Mike worked to create a culture of trust. Simultaneously, he empowered his crew to take charge, innovate, and initiative improvement themselves. Top-down leadership is dead, so when the crew would present a problem, Mike became famous for responding “What would YOU do? It’s YOUR ship!” Mike’s presentation leaves audiences with the tools and inspiration to lead your organization to new heights.

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership lessons from Mike’s story of turning one of the Pacific Fleet’s worst ships into the ranked #1 performer – using the same crew.
• How to drive high-level decision-making down to the lowest level of your organization.
• Ways to create a high-performance organizational culture.

The Virtual Leader’s Roadmap

Mike Abrashoff had to change his leadership mindset when he took over the near-worst performing ship in the Navy. The situation was dire. If performance did not improve, sailors could have gotten injured…or worse. In response, Mike quickly adopted a new set of principles to guide a new way of leading.

Specifically, his focus was on building trust and authentic ways of engaging. It was about listening to and empowering his crew who then went on to make the USS Benfold the best ship in the entire U.S. Navy.

These very same principles are the foundation of success for organizations that embrace working virtually. In the short term, many organizations have found virtual work arrangements increase the effectiveness of employees.

However, that effectiveness may not be sustainable if leaders and organizations don’t master a new skill set of how to lead people they can’t see. It’s about measuring results – not activity; and about finding ways to let people know their efforts are appreciated. Those who succeed in leading in the virtual environment will create a decisive competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways:

• Authentic leadership skills for all organizations.
• How to improve performance by making employees feel appreciated and seen.

No Limits – Don’t Let Goals Become Limitations

Sometimes in our professional lives, we might think we are in a battle to beat an adversary or a competitor. But in actuality, we are really in competition with ourselves, we just haven’t figured it out yet.

When battling the competition, you want to come out on top. From time to time, you might want to win by only one more sale or a few percentage points. Other times, leadership gives you a goal based on some median expectation set. When Mike Abrashoff took command of a well below-average ship in the U.S. Navy, his goal was to improve to average. He initially set average goals and expectations for himself and his crew. Until one day, it dawned on him. His ship could be much better than just average. It was Mike’s eureka moment: realizing they weren’t in competition with anyone but themselves.

To be their best they had to stop putting limits on what they believed was possible. That realization changed Mike Abrashoff’s approach to leadership and led the same crew to accomplish one of the most remarkable turnarounds. This presentation will challenge audiences to think differently about how to set expectations while realizing the only limits that you have are self-imposed.

Key Takeaways:

• Important considerations when setting personal and organizational goals.
• The means to make those remarkable goals a reality.

Go Deeper with Half-day and Full-day Programs

Dive deep into The Leadership Roadmap with a half-day or full-day program. The sessions are most often used as a follow-on to Mike’s keynote. These longer sessions provide attendees with powerful tools and strategies to apply in their work environment. Depending on the circumstances, these sessions are facilitated by a senior strategist from Mike’s firm, Aegis Performance Group, or Mike himself. These sessions create an exciting interactive atmosphere where participants examine the key components of high-performing leaders, teams, and organizations. Inquire for more details and program descriptions.