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Mike Abrashoff

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5 out of 5
6 reviews

Leadership Speaker, Former Commander of USS Benfold & Author of "It's Your Ship"

Mike Abrashoff

Mike Abrashoff

Speaker RatingSpeaker RatingSpeaker RatingSpeaker RatingSpeaker Rating
5 out of 5
6 reviews

Leadership Speaker, Former Commander of USS Benfold & Author of "It's Your Ship"

Travels From Travels From:
Lakeland, FL, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $20,000 - $30,000
Virtual Event: $20,000 - $30,000
More Fee Info
Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Authors, Business, Business Coaching, Business Growth, Business Leaders, Change, Communication, Consulting, Corporate Culture, Corporate Responsibility, Disruptive Thinking, Empowerment, Human Resources, Innovation, Inspirational, Leadership Speakers, Literary, Military, Motivation, Peak Performance, Personal Growth, Political Speakers, Sales, Sales, Marketing and Branding, Teamwork and Teambuilding, Veterans, Virtual Speakers
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Mike Abrashoff Biography

Mike Abrashoff was the most-junior officer in the Pacific Fleet when he took command of the near-worst performing ship. Twelve months later, the USS Benfold was the best ship in the entire Navy – using the same crew. The story of that stunning transformation has lessons for every organization: leadership matters – and culture is everything. Abrashoff's written four books – his first, "It’s Your Ship," has sold over 1.4 million copies. His Leadership Roadmap offers clear, battle-tested, and actionable steps. Abrashoff shows people at every level of the organization how to engage and take incremental steps toward change that can make a dramatic difference at work. Abrashoff is clear, “I didn’t turn the ship around – my crew did that. What I did was to create an environment where they felt safe, empowered and supported. When you do that, anything is possible.”

In many ways, what Abrashoff was able to do with the USS Benfold was an extreme example of the same problems facing many organizations today. That’s why dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company have cited Abrashoff's story as an inspiring lesson for business. Leaders especially identify with Abrashoff's being accountable for the results in an environment where he couldn’t make the rules.

“When my crew came to me with a problem, I’d say ‘It’s your ship – how would you fix it?’.” Abrashoff focused on the one thing he could influence: his crew’s attitude, because culture is the ultimate competitive weapon for any organization.

Abrashoff's established a set of management principles that he calls The Leadership Roadmap. At the core of his leadership approach on Benfold was a process of replacing command and control with commitment and cohesion, and engaging the hearts, minds, and loyalties of workers with conviction and humility. “The most important thing that a captain can do is to see the ship through the eyes of the crew. The idea is to empower every individual to share the responsibility of achieving excellence.”

By every measure, these principles achieved breakthrough results: turnover decreased to an unprecedented 1%; the rate of promotions tripled; and the crew slashed operating expenses by 25%. Regarded as the finest ship in the Pacific Fleet, Benfold won the prestigious Spokane Trophy for having the highest degree of combat readiness. This remarkable turnaround was accomplished by the very same crew that had performed so poorly just months before.

Abrashoff is author of four books. His first, "It’s Your Ship," has a timeless message: don’t use outside forces that stand in your way as excuses – control the things you can influence and amazing results will happen. His next books, "It’s Our Ship" and "Get Your Ship Together" showed how these principles have been put into action by business leaders in their own organizations. Abrashoff's latest book, "Ship Happens" (co-authored with Stacey Cunningham), serves as a guide for leaders, detailing his strategies for transforming USS Benfold into the top-performing ship. A popular keynote speaker for audiences looking to ramp up organizational performance, Abrashoff has spoken to every industry and kind of audience – from board retreats to front line personnel; from sales groups to universities; from Fortune 500s to startups. He inspires audiences to rethink their beliefs about leadership and organizational culture and tailors the message to focus on engagement, execution, change, safety, diversity, leadership, teamwork, innovation, accountability and more. Prior to commanding USS Benfold, Abrashoff served as the Military Assistant to Secretary of Defense William J. Perry. He also helped draft the air defense plan for naval forces in the Persian Gulf in 1990, coinciding with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait; and served as the executive officer of the Cruiser Shiloh, where he deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq.

Abrashoff is the founder of Aegis Performance Group, a consulting firm which works with and supports leaders as they address leadership, talent and performance challenges within their organizations. Abrashoff and his team prompt leaders at all levels to re-imagine their leadership thinking and create new ways to elevate individual, team and organizational performance.

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Mike Abrashoff Speaking Topics

  • It’s Your Ship – Achieving Breakthrough Performance

    When 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.

  • 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. 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.

  • 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 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.

  • 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 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 Abrashoff Videos

  • Mike Abrashoff: Staying Safe in Tough Times
    Mike Abrashoff: Staying Safe in Tough Times
    Mike Abrashoff was the most-junior officer in the Pacific Fleet when he took command of the near-worst performing ship. Twelve months later, the USS...
  • 2019 Convention Keynote: Mike Abrashoff
    2019 Convention Keynote: Mike Abrashoff
    Mike Abrashoff invites you to join him and your industry peers for the annual Convention & Exhibitor Showcase, May 4-8, 2019 at JW Marriott Desert...
  • Navy Captain MIKE ABRASHOFF: People Don’t Come to Work to Fail
    Navy Captain MIKE ABRASHOFF: People Don’t Come to Work to Fail
    Top expert on motivating teams to create a high performance organization, MIKE ABRASHOFF created a sense of urgency to drive team engagement – with...
See All Videos »

Mike Abrashoff Books

  • It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, 10th Anniversary Edition
    It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, 10th Anniversary Edition
  • It's Our Ship: The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership
    It's Our Ship: The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership
  • Get Your Ship Together: How Great Leaders Inspire Ownership from the Keel
    Get Your Ship Together: How Great Leaders Inspire Ownership from the Keel

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FAQs on booking Mike Abrashoff

  • How do I book Mike Abrashoff to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Mike Abrashoff for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Mike Abrashoff, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Mike Abrashoff or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Mike Abrashoff

    Speaking fees for Mike Abrashoff, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Mike Abrashoff are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Mike Abrashoff, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Mike Abrashoff speak about?

    Mike Abrashoff is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Business, Business Coaching, Business Growth, Business Leaders, Change, Communication, Consulting, Corporate Culture, Corporate Responsibility, Disruptive Thinking, Empowerment, Human Resources, Innovation, Inspirational, Leadership Speakers, Literary, Military, Motivation, Peak Performance, Personal Growth, Political Speakers, Sales, Sales, Marketing and Branding, Teamwork and Teambuilding, Veterans, Virtual Speakers.

  • Where does Mike Abrashoff travel from?

    Mike Abrashoff generally travels from Lakeland, FL, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Mike Abrashoff’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Mike Abrashoff for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Mike Abrashoff for your next private or corporate function.

  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Mike Abrashoff or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Mike Abrashoff is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as It’s Your Ship – Achieving Breakthrough Performance, The Virtual Leader’s Roadmap, No Limits – Don’t Let Goals Become Limitations and Go Deeper with Half-day and Full-day Programs. The estimated speaking fee range to book Mike Abrashoff for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Mike Abrashoff generally travels from Lakeland, FL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Eric Boles, Carey Lohrenz, J.R. Martinez, Erica Dhawan and Libby Gill. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Mike Abrashoff for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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