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Listen Up!
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Mike Abrashoff learned about leadership as captain of the "USS Benfold," a guided-missile destroyer that he and his crew transformed from a dysfunctional disgrace into the best damn ship in the U.S. Navy. He told that story in a bestselling book, "It's Your Ship." Now he's distilling the lessons of that experience, plus what he's learned as a consultant and speaker, into a series of brief, practical guides to effective leadership. This is one of them, and it's about the power of listening.
A leader who hasn't learned to listen is working under a huge handicap. It may be possible to lead without listening, Douglas MacArthur-style, but that approach is twice as hard, half as fast, and prone to disaster. Even as I rose through the ranks of the Navy, I found that listening didn't always come naturally to me. Often, I merely pretended to hear people. How many times had I barely glanced up from my work when a sailor or officer came up to the bridge or into my cabin? I wasn't paying attention; I was marking time until I could give orders. When I took command of "Benfold," I was determined to do things differently--and I had to move fast. In two months, we would deploy to the Middle East, and we weren't ready....
Mike Abrashoff learned about leadership as captain of the "USS Benfold," a guided-missile destroyer that he and his crew transformed from a dysfunctional disgrace into the best damn ship in the U.S. Navy. He told that story in a bestselling book, "It's Your Ship." Now he's distilling the lessons of that experience, plus what he's learned as a consultant and speaker, into a series of brief, practical guides to effective leadership. This is one of them, and it's about the power of listening.
A leader who hasn't learned to listen is working under a huge handicap. It may be possible to lead without listening, Douglas MacArthur-style, but that approach is twice as hard, half as fast, and prone to disaster. Even as I rose through the ranks of the Navy, I found that listening didn't always come naturally to me. Often, I merely pretended to hear people. How many times had I barely glanced up from my work when a sailor or officer came up to the bridge or into my cabin? I wasn't paying attention; I was marking time until I could give orders. When I took command of "Benfold," I was determined to do things differently--and I had to move fast. In two months, we would deploy to the Middle East, and we weren't ready....
19 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
D. Michael Abrashoff
19 books71 followersD. 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 now lectures to business audiences around the country.
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July 7, 2021
Audible Book - same basic info as Not My Ship
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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