Have you ever wondered what truly transforms an underperforming team into one that excels beyond all expectations? In my years of coaching executives, I’ve found that the most powerful leadership shift happens when we move from control to empowerment.
This episode illuminates this truth through the remarkable story of a Navy commander who rejected traditional command-and-control leadership to create extraordinary results. His approach, centered on genuine listening and empowering his team to take ownership, transformed one of the worst-performing ships in the Pacific Fleet into the best ship in the Navy—and reveals leadership wisdom that’s even more relevant for today’s executives than when he first implemented it.
I’m delighted to welcome Mike Abrashoff, former commander of USS Benfold and author of the bestselling leadership book “It’s Your Ship,” which has sold over 1.5 million copies and been translated into 10 languages. Mike’s journey offers profound insights for senior leaders facing today’s complex challenges. By interviewing all 310 sailors individually and asking “what do you think?” instead of issuing orders, he created a culture of ownership and accountability that transformed his ship’s performance. His experience shows us that true leadership presence requires the courage to let go of control while still maintaining excellence.
In this episode, we cover:
- How to transform a command-and-control environment into one where team members feel empowered to take ownership—even in hierarchical organizations
- The surprising interview strategy Mike used with all 310 crew members that became the foundation for his leadership philosophy “It’s Your Ship”
- Why focusing on your next promotion actually undermines your leadership effectiveness and what to focus on instead
- The counterintuitive way Mike reduced his workload from 12 hours to just 4 hours daily while improving his ship’s performance
- How to break free from the “echo chamber” of executive leadership and gain authentic insights from frontline team members
Mike’s profound insight about our inability to command excellence—and instead needing to engage our people to drive performance—resonates deeply with what I see in organizations today. His approach of leading with humility while maintaining high standards offers a powerful template for executives who want to create environments where people thrive and deliver exceptional results.
What leadership practices might you need to let go of to create more ownership on your team? I’d love to continue this conversation with you. Connect with me on LinkedIn for weekly leadership insights that help you lead with less ego and more soul.
More About Mike Abrashoff
Mike Abrashoff is at the center of one of the most remarkable modern day stories of organizational transformation.
At 36, he was selected to be Commander of USS Benfold and was the most junior commanding officer in the Pacific fleet. The challenges of this underachieving destroyer were staggering, with low morale and the highest turnover rate in the Navy. Few thought the ship could improve. Yet 12 months later it was ranked #1 in performance — using the same crew. How did Mike do it? By replacing command and control leadership with commitment and cohesion. The lesson was clear: Leadership matters and culture is everything.
Since leaving the Navy, Mike has worked with over 1200 organizations instilling leadership initiatives at every level – achieving phenomenal change in unexpected places. Leaders especially identify with Mike being accountable for results in an environment where he couldn’t make the rules. He focused on the one thing he could influence: his crew’s attitude, because culture is the ultimate competitive weapon for any organization. That’s why Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and others have cited Mike’s story. It’s also why Mike is so popular with such a wide range of audiences.
Connect with Mike
Leadership Presence | Mastering the Inner Work of Leadership is your guide to leading with less ego and more soul. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach, advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 200 companies. In this podcast, she digs into the real deep work and empowers leaders to show up with authenticity, build emotional intelligence, and lead in a way that leaves a lasting impact.
Noteworthy Quotes from This Episode
“We can’t order excellence. We’ve got to figure out how to engage our people so that they can help us drive performance. We are all on the retention and recruiting committee, and we have to create that culture by which the best and the brightest want to come work for us.”
“They don’t want to be told how to do things. Lay out the requirements and say, what do you think? Let them design the solution. And they may be perfect. They may come up short. Guess what? That’s how they’re gonna learn and that’s how they’re gonna become connected to their work.”
“I realized there was nothing keeping me from doing it differently. So I decided to fix everything I hated about the Navy when I was coming up through the ranks.”
“When you put the right processes and procedures in place, over time you become irrelevant to the operation. And in my last year I probably worked four hours a day and I was the envy of all the commanding officers because they knew I was leaving at lunchtime.”
Resource Links:
Connect with Janet Ioli:
Website: janetioli.com
Linkedin: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
Janet is the founder of Power Presence Academy. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and lead with Less Ego, More Soul.
If you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days. Check out Janet Ioli’s book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women.
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