Get Your Ship Together: How Great Leaders Inspire Ownership from the Ground Up
By D. Michael Abrashoff

ISBN: 1591840740
Format: Hardcover, 224pp
Pub. Date: December 2004
Publisher: Portfolio

Hardcover, December 2004
Barnes & Noble price: $18.16

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Former U.S. Navy Commander Michael Abrashoff attracted worldwide media attention for his success in turning around a struggling ship, the USS Benfold—the subject of his acclaimed bestseller, It's Your Ship. Since then, he's been a fixture on the business lecture circuit, spreading an empowering message that any organization can be turned around with compassionate but firm leadership. He is now nearly as popular a speaker as Rudy Giuliani, Jack Welch, or Jim Collins.

Abrashoff never claimed to have all the answers. He also knew that there were plenty of other creative leaders in the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and even the Coast Guard who could teach businesspeople how to motivate, inspire, and get great results under pressure. So he asked around, found some fascinating people in every branch of the U.S. military and the business world, and interviewed them about leadership and teambuilding. The result is Get Your Ship Together—a book that will be just as valuable as It's Your Ship.

For example, Abrashoff introduces us to a working-class enlisted man who rose rapidly in the Navy for his creative leadership under fire; an army platoon leader who fought in Afghanistan; the first woman to fly an Apache helicopter in combat; a former commander of the Air Force's elite Blue Angels; and many other unsung heroes. Abrashoff distills their stories into fresh lessons that can be applied in the business world, such as:

• Make a contract with your people and honor it
• Develop your subordinates better so you can buy back a little quality of life
• Conduct the battle on your terms, not those of your adversary

Author Biography: D. Michael Abrashoff served for almost twenty years in the U.S. Navy, culminating in a tour of duty as captain of the $1 billion warship USS Benfold. After leaving the Navy, he wrote a bestseller about progressive leadership called It's Your Ship. He lectures to business audiences around the country.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Claire Andrews, A reviewer, April 7, 2005,
Abrashoff Has His Ship Together!
Concept actualized! In this follow-up to It's Your Ship, Abrashoff tells of six leaders who embody the ideals of grassroots leadership. This book allowed me to see how the concepts described in the first book could prove invaluable to any setting - be it battleships or bakeries! Abrashoff also weaves in more personal experiences, rounding out what is a must read for any leader in today's business world! Since embracing Abrashoff's leadership techniques in my own business and passing out copies of his books to my employees, I have never seen so much productivity and PRIDE on daily basis! I have empowered my team and challenged them to be their best. I never could have imagined how incredible their best would be. Abrashoff's ideas have permanently changed my view of leadership and improved my business!
Also recommended: It's Your Ship-Captain D. Michael Abrashoff

A reviewer, avid reader of leadership books, February 23, 2005,
Truly Inspirational
I found the unsung heroes in this second book by Abrashoff to be deeply inspirational and further evidence that there are many ways to lead. Chapter 5 about Laura Folse and her views on authenticity is particularly inspiring.

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