As we celebrate the Federal holiday of Veteran’s Day, I can’t help but think of my favorite veteran—Allen (Paw Paw) Pyle. My Paw Paw and Mano—my father’s parents—spent summers away from their Corpus Christi, Texas home near Durango, Colorado. I was able to spend some time with them in my teenage years. Paw Paw and I would go fishing on Vallecito Lake, using his fishing boat. From time to time, he would let me drive and say, “It’s your boat. Take us where you think the fish are.” From the picture above, you can see that we had a lot of fun! Happy Veteran’s Day to those who (like Paw Paw did) faithfully serve our country…
In May of this year, NASA convened an Executive Safety Leadership Program at the Kennedy Space Center. Terry Wilcutt, who currently serves as NASA’s Director of Safety & Mission Assurance, gave all attendees a copy of Michael Abrashoff’s It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy. Abrashoff notes that a Gallup study found nearly two-thirds of people who leave their companies are actually leaving their managers. Leaders are failing—and the costs are astounding.
Abrashoff explains, “I found that the more control I gave up, the more command I got. In the beginning, people kept asking my permission to do things. Eventually, I told the crew, ‘It’s your ship. You’re responsible for it. Make a decision, and see what happens.’ Every sailor felt that Benfold was his or her responsibility. Show me an organization in which employees take ownership, and I will show you one that beats its competitors… As a leader, you can change your piece of the world, just as I was able to change mine. After all, it’s your ship.”
Click here to learn more advice from Abrashoff