Leading Through Empowerment
Leading Through Empowerment
USA
Mike Abrashoff: From Navy Captain to Business Leader. Gain insights from a captain who empowered his crew to achieve greatness.
Request fees and availability5 out of 5 stars
Mike's personality and message was both inspirational and educational. Several conference attendees have told me that he was the best speaker we've ever had. He certainly was the best way to close out our Symposium! I think we were all ready to take on the world after that address! Thank you for also recognizing those in the audience who had served in the armed services. It meant a lot to them.
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Mike Abrashoff, the renowned motivational speaker, is the transformative force your organization needs. Known for turning the USS Benfold from the Navy’s worst-performing ship into its best in just twelve months, he’s a master of leadership and culture transformation.
Booking Mike Abrashoff for your event is your ticket to harnessing his exceptional insights. He doesn’t just talk the talk; he walks the walk. His proven Leadership Roadmap offers actionable steps to navigate the choppy seas of organizational change. It’s not about turning the ship around, but creating an environment where your team feels safe, empowered, and supported, where anything is possible.
Mike’s message resonates across the corporate landscape, as his story has been featured in prestigious publications like The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. Leaders worldwide identify with his ability to achieve extraordinary results in environments where he couldn’t make the rules.
When you book Mike Abrashoff, you secure a compass for your organization’s journey. His strategies have reduced expenses by 25%, decreased turnover to an unprecedented 1%, and tripled the rate of promotions. Your ship, your organization, can achieve combat readiness and excellence, just like the USS Benfold.
Mike Abrashoff’s message transcends industries and speaks to your specific needs, from enhancing teamwork to fostering innovation, ensuring safety, and promoting accountability. In a world where leadership matters and culture is everything, let Mike be your guide. Make the smart choice – book him for your event and navigate your organization to success.
See keynotes with Mike AbrashoffWhen Mike Abrashoff took command of the USS Benfold, morale was low, turnover was high and the ship’s performance ranked near the bottom of the Pacific Fleet. Just twelve months later Benfold was ranked #1 – using the very same crew. The lesson was clear – leadership matters and culture is everything.
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 ship’s performance could change, he had to change his leadership style. Mike worked to create a culture of trust and empower his crew to take charge and use ingenuity and initiative to improve every aspect of the way things were done. 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 accomplish big goals.
Sometimes in our professional lives we might think we are in a battle to beat an adversary or a competitor when in actuality we are really in competition with ourselves but just haven’t figured it out yet. When battling the competition, you want to come out on top, if only by one more sale or maybe a few percentage points. Other times, someone at a higher level gives you a goal based on some median expectation set for others.
When Mike Abrashoff took command of a well below-average ship in the U.S. Navy, his goal was to get 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 that was chronicled in the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company magazine and Mike’s New York Times’ and Wall Street Journal bestselling book, IT’S YOUR SHIP.
This presentation will challenge audiences to think differently on how to set expectations while realizing the only limits that you have are self-imposed.
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. 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 actually increase effectiveness of employees. 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.
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 and provide attendees with powerful tools and strategies to apply in their work environment. Depending on the circumstances, these longer 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.
Mike was a perfect addition to our event, his talk really helped drive the clarity of our message. He and his staff took a great deal of time to ensure we were on the same page.
Shannon Taft
Mike's personality and message was both inspirational and educational. Several conference attendees have told me that he was the best speaker we've ever had. He certainly was the best way to close out our Symposium! I think we were all ready to take on the world after that address! Thank you for also recognizing those in the audience who had served in the armed services. It meant a lot to them.
Maureen Richmond
Very genuine, sincere and caring!
Amanda Schumacher
Mike was so fabulous – not a dry eye in the audience. He made us look good, but more importantly, he inspired our leaders to be their best and get better – even if by just 1% a day. We will definitely want to work with him again in the future.
HOME RUN!!! Mike Abrashoff was a bases loaded home run! I believe he is the best that we have ever had. Wow!!!!! Wonderful feedback from the members. All future speakers will be judged against a very high bar that he set!!
Everyone loved Mike. He got a standing ovation. First time I’ve seen a keynote receive one in my history with ADESA.
It was a pleasure working with you – and it’s always the best news when our audience responds so well to a speaker. Your average score over 9 meetings was 4.9 out of 5.0 – wow!
Mike, you hit it out of the park, as I knew you would. Your message was on point and was exactly what I was looking for. It emphasized some of the things we were already working on and provided a good foundation for us to build on.
President/CEO
You were amazing!! Kicking off the convention with a standing ovation is a home run.
CEO
Mike – Your presentation was an absolute home-run and we have the survey responses to back it up. Not only would I recommend you without hesitation, I have already done so
President & CEO
We have asked Mike Abrashoff to speak to our team twice now and he is in high demand for a third appearance. His message and coaching around leadership is perfect for every level of management in our organization ranging from the General Managers of our stores right up to our CEO.
Chief Operating Officer
We have never had such positive feedback so you very much exceeded our expectations. You were quoted numerous times throughout the remainder of the conference which says people took your message to heart and will put it to work in their everyday jobs – exactly what we aimed for!
Director of Staffing
Any audience that cares about leadership, culture, change management, performance and teamwork would benefit immensely from your presentation. Our group enjoyed not only your message, but also your presentation style. Needless to say, you received very high ratings in our post-conference survey.
Vice President
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive! I personally have never listened to a better speaker. Your message was tailor made for my team and I look forward to discussing future opportunities with you.
VP
Mike’s personality and message was both inspirational and educational. Several conference attendees have told me that he was the best speaker we’ve ever had. He certainly was the best way to close out our Symposium!
Director
In the close to four years I have been here Mike’s presentation was widely recognized as the best by far. He spoke for 75 minutes …no notes… no overheads…. No podium…right out front. His Q/A was outstanding… our managers appreciated that we brought in someone that good. He does not try to impress people with any gimmicks or trendy expressions. I will call on him again and trust him with our most valuable asset…our people
Chief Operation Officer
He knocked it out of the park. He was so good and on point that it almost looked like we wrote his script. The group loved him and the parallels to managing a ship and mill are remarkable.
Public Relations and Communications
Your presentation in New Orleans was outstanding. Not only was it the highest rated of the week (4.95 out 5), it was timely, inspirational and informative.
Sales Trainer
Navy leadership is a set of principles, traits, and strategies that help leaders navigate difficult situations and lead their teams to success. Navy leadership has been around for centuries and has been used by various naval forces, including the U.S. Navy. In recent years, former Navy Commander Mike Abrashoff has become a well-known advocate of […]
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