It's Your Ship

This Leadership Lesson is courtesy of former U.S. Navy Commander D. Michael Abrashoff's insights on leadership as related in his excellent book, It's Your Ship:

"Leaders need to understand how profoundly they affect people, how their optimism and pessimism are equally infectious, how directly they set the tone and spirit of everyone around them."

What kind of tone do you set for your team/school/business?

"When I took command of Benfold, I saw a crew of 310 men and women with untapped talent, untested spirit, and unlimited potential. I was determined to be the captain these sailors deserved. I wanted to send a loud message that would prove I was serious about making them partners, not peons."

What do you see when you look at your team/school/business?

Are you determined to be the leader that your followers deserve?

Are you willing to partner with your people?

"I decided Benfold was going to be the best damn ship in that Navy. I repeated it to my sailors all the time, and eventually they believed it themselves. I told them I wanted them to greet every visitor who came on board by looking him or her in the eye, shaking hands, smiling and saying, 'Welcome to the best damn ship in the Navy.'"

What kind of vision do you have for your program/school/organization?

How do you want your people to think of themselves?

What do you want your people to tell others about your team/school/business?

Invest the time to reflect on the above quotes, answer the accompanying questions, and read It's Your Ship.

You and your team will be glad you did!