It's Your Ship - Make it the best by Captain D. Michael Adrashoff
“Leadership is mostly the art of doing simple things very well” (p. 152).
Everyone craves exceptional leadership.
No matter if you are in a menial, managerial, or executive-level position in any organization, you crave it.
Exceptional leadership can make working the worst job bearable, if not enjoyable. In the Navy, there are a lot of not so wonderful jobs, but Captain D. Michael Abrashoff set out from day one on the USS Benfold to make it the best it could be.
The USS Benfold (DDG-65) is an Arleigh Burke-class Navy Destroyer that can effectively combat sub-sea, surface-sea, land, and air threats with an impressively diverse arsenal.
But without a crew, it can do nothing.
This is week 13 of 52 in the Tim Challies 2020 reading challenge, and the plan allowed a book of choice, so I chose It's Your Ship by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff.
In his book, CAPT Abrashoff sections off each chapter as a lesson he learned during his time in the Navy and how he applied it to his ship the USS Benfold, which culminated in the Benfold going from one of the worst to best ships in the Pacific Fleet.
As a Navy man myself, I am a little ashamed I had not read the full book earlier. This book combats the frustrating inefficiencies that we call "traditions" in almost every way.
The result: They had fun.
Not only did they have fun, but they excelled in almost every measurable metric in the Navy, to include combat readiness, seamanship, decreased discrimination, promotions, awards, retention rates, and overall sailor job-satisfaction.
As a Navy man myself, I am a little ashamed I had not read the full book earlier. This book combats the frustrating inefficiencies that we call "traditions" in almost every way.
The result: They had fun.
Not only did they have fun, but they excelled in almost every measurable metric in the Navy, to include combat readiness, seamanship, decreased discrimination, promotions, awards, retention rates, and overall sailor job-satisfaction.
CAPT Abrashoff accomplished something remarkable with the crew of the Benfold. From day one, he set out to lead, listen, and provide meaning by empowering his sailors to take ownership.
He told his crew: It's Your Ship – Make it the Best.
This book is a gold mine for excellent leadership advice. In my review, however, I will focus on three principles (three chapters in the book) that CAPT Abrashoff used to set and solidify his expectations that provided freedom of movement for his subordinates.
Disclaimer: To my knowledge, CAPT Adrashoff is not a Christian. But as Calvin says in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, "in reading profane authors, the admirable light of truth displayed in them should remind us, that the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator" (II 2.15).
Lead by Example
"Real leadership must be done by example, not precept. Whether you like it or not, your people will follow your example" (p. 42).
The principle of leading by example is ageless. And biblical.
Jesus led the disciples by inviting them to follow him. He did not just tell them how to live, he showed them.
I often hear pastors exhorting their congregations to evangelize the lost. Share the gospel. Be bold.
I wonder Pastor, have you showed them how?
CAPT Adrashoff nails this principle with an uncommon perspective.
"Whenever I could not get the results I wanted, I swallowed my temper and turned inward to see if I was part of the problem. I asked myself three questions: Did I clearly articulate the goals? Did I give people enough time and resources to accomplish the task? Did I give them enough training? I discovered that 90 percent of the time, I was at least as much a part of the problem as my people were."
Humility.
A lesson and questions that can and should be applied not only to formal leadership positions but parents as well!
The stay at home order has blessed me with more time with my kids. But this has also produced a shorter fuse than normal. Asking CAPT Adrashoff's three questions has proved beneficial when analyzing and addressing things I think are shortfalls in my kiddos.
People often think that leading by example means full charge reckless into battle. A Braveheart William Wallace type of leadership that cuts down any who stand in their way. A "get on board or get out of the way" mentality.
CAPT Adrashoff realized, leading by example is practicing the same humility and responsibility that you expect in your people.
Church leaders and Christian professionals will benefit in extraordinary ways if they put down the strategies, whiteboards, programs, budgets, media, building plans and projection charts for a moment.
Pause.
Reflect on your current issues. Ask yourself three questions: Did I clearly articulate the goals? Did I give people enough time and resources to accomplish the task? Did I give them enough training?
I will also add in a fourth question for the Christian context.
Is the goal centered on God's glory or my own?
Humble yourself, and then go walk with your people.
Listen Aggressively
CAPT Adrashoff learned listening while working as an aide for Dr. William Perry, former Secretary of Defense. The Captain writes of Perry;
Each person who talked to him had his complete, undivided attention. Everyone blossomed in his presence, because he was so respectful, and I realized I wanted to affect people the same way" (p. 54).
To listen aggressively, CAPT Adrashoff knew he had to care about each crewmember personally. So, in his first month, he developed an ambitious and bold goal.
Learn the names of every single sailor. 310 sailors. In one month.
Oh, and learn the names of their spouses and all their birthdays. In one month.
But this wasn't enough. CAPT Adrashoff believed he was to succeed at listening, he needed to see the ship through the crew's eyes (p. 55).
He started to meet with 5 crew members individually every day. And all he did was ask questions and listen.
The information that came from this blew his mind.
He found out "by listening that 50 percent enlisted because their families could not afford to send them to college, and 30 percent joined to get away from bad situations at home-drugs, gangs, and other violence for example"(p. 57).
When you encounter someone's story, purpose, and life position with no other agenda other than to listen and know them, something happens. You begin to care.
"Something happened in me as a result of those interviews. I came to respect my crew enormously… I became their biggest cheerleader" (p. 57).
Listening aggressively helps you care.
Nothing helps you listen better than individually meeting with everyone under your authority and seeking to know them and how God has wired them.
Communicate Purpose and Meaning
"The whole secret of leading a ship or manning a company is to articulate a common goal that inspires a diverse group of people to work hard together" (p. 63).
The logic is simple, people will work harder, be more efficient, and love what they do when they believe in what they are doing.
USS BENFOLD (DDG-65)
CAPT Adrashoff set out to make the crew of the USS Benfold believe that they could do anything. And he included them in on everything.
Instead of keeping his sailors in the dark on big decisions and moments, he became transparent and sought out the ideas of those around him.
The Captain communicated he wanted people to take ownership and make innovative solutions, not simply fall in line with traditions.
The result, people under his command embraced his vision and ran with it. The USS Benfold went from being one of the worst to best ship in the Pacific Fleet.
They were ranked as the most combat effective ship, all while serving top brand food, playing movies on the flight deck, blasting music during working parties, and having a new years party with chilled beer on a barge outside of Bahrain.
How did the crew do this? It was their ship, and they made the best of it.
CAPT Adrashoff set the expectation that the USS Benfold was not just his ship, it was the crews. And he would lead, listen, and communicate plans of action to empower the crew to make the ship theirs. To make it the best ship in the Navy.
When one sailor said he could single handedly save the ship hours of pointless painting, the captain listened.
When another sailor said he could improve the communication systems of the entire fleet, Adrashoff acted.
When a junior sailor suggested music and movies to improve morale, the Captain said run with it.
He led, listened, and communicated ownership.
Overall, this is an excellent book that is both enjoyable and practical. I recommend it and think you will find it equally rewarding.
I will add one important exception concerning the church.
It's NOT your church. Its Jesus' church.
John Owen came from Welsh descent, was educated at Queens College, and became a renowned Puritan theologian, Oxford professor, and passionate pastor who lived from 1616 to 1683. In 1647, he wrote the exhaustive treatise The Death of Death defending Limited or Definite Atonement against the Arminian view of Universal Atonement or Unlimited Atonement.