Book Summary Preview : It’s Your Ship

The Big Idea
Companies and businesses share the common challenge of retaining and getting the most out of their employees. When trained employees resign, the company loses a lot of productivity and incurs additional training and recruiting expenses.

Author Captain D. Michael Abrashoff teaches you how to motivate your employees to take responsibility for their actions. Through this book, you will learn how to improve your leadership skills and inspire your employees.

1 - Take Command

A challenge for every organization is to attract, retain and motivate employees. If a company succeeds in doing so, employees work with more passion, energy, and enthusiasm. This translates to an increase in productivity and more profit for the company.

Reasons for Leaving

Research indicates that low pay or salary is only the fifth on the list of reasons why employees change jobs.

The top four reasons are:

1. Not being treated with respect or dignity.
2. Prevented from making an impact on the organization.
3. Not being listened to.
4. Not being rewarded with more responsibility.

Encourage and Respect Your Staff

The key to a successful organization is to be able to look through the eyes of the staff and crew.

You must assume that everyone wants to do well. It is then important that you give your employees the space and confidence they need to do their jobs. Do not just bark out orders and expect them to follow. Give everyone the trust and respect they deserve.

Also remember that taking command does not mean shouting out orders. Leadership focuses on encouraging people not only to find better ways to do their jobs, but also to enjoy their work. This is the only way to implement lasting change.

A leader should not only know how to lead, he must also know how to follow. He must be open to suggestions and be ready to listen to new ideas. Furthermore, a leader should make the effort to get to know the people around him. This creates a positive atmosphere that can motivate, encourage and give confidence.

A leader’s “job” is to create a climate that enables employees to unleash their potential. If you give your people the right tools and the right environment, they can achieve wonders. . . . . .