At the age of 38, Navy Cmdr. Mike Abrashoff found himself in the enviable position of controlling the awesome power of an Aegis-class guided missile destroyer, the USS Benfold. With its advanced surface-to-air missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and radar-guided Phalanx close-in weapons systems, Benfold is, ton for ton, one of the most formidable fighting machines in the world. But on his first cruise as commander, Abrashoff learned that even the most powerful vessel is vulnerable to human error. As the Benfold left its mooring, it suddenly lost all power, putting the ship and its crew in danger of a collision. Later, after disaster had been narrowly averted, Abrashoff learned that the watch standers had not followed proper procedure that morning, and the Benfold was lucky to have emerged in one piece.

For Abrashoff, it was a wake-up call, and he resolved to radically change the “business as usual” attitude that had come to permeate his ship. After he retired from the Navy, he carried those lessons into his civilian career. How he helped convert the Benfold from a dysfunctional vessel with a bad reputation into the finest ship in the Pacific Fleet is detailed in his first book, It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy (Warner Business Books, 2002). In his new book, Get Your Ship Together: How Great Leaders Inspire Ownership from the Keel Up (Penguin, 2004), Abrashoff relates the struggles and ultimate successes of six leaders from military and civilian life.

In a recent interview with Today’s Officer magazine, Abrashoff explained how skills acquired in the military often can give officers an edge in the business world. Answers have been edited for space and clarity.

ABRASHOFF: When I left the Navy four years ago and went on the speaking circuit talking about leadership development, I found a tremendous disconnect in the corporate [world’s] … understanding of the military. They think all we do is salute and follow orders, that we have a set way of doing business. Many [civilians] do not understand how entrepreneurial military officers have been forced to become in today’s military environment. What I have found is that many in the civilian world are envious of us — of the courage and integrity that doesn’t exist in many places in the corporate world today. What I’m trying to do with writing, lecturing, and leadership development is to extend the knowledge base of corporations and explain why former military officers make great leaders.

Q: You wrote about Army 1st Lt. Buddy Gengler’s platoon being called on to perform a mission in Iraq for which they hadn’t been trained. He succeeded because he asked for help, but that’s not necessarily a commander’s first instinct. How would you motivate those who hesitate to call in the reserves?

A: I would tell them, “Put yourself in the shoes of your boss,” plain and simple. The boss can bring a number of resources to bear to help you accomplish a mission, but he can’t do that if he doesn’t know you need them or that you’re having a problem. What I’ve seen is that many bosses would be glad to give you the additional resources if you present the case in the right manner.

Q: How do you motivate someone who is not performing up to standards?

A: First, you have to have a critical conversation—ask them to evaluate their own performance [compared] to their peers’ and if they think they’re measuring up. Often they’ll admit they’re not. Then you ask what the problem is and offer assistance. But you also have to let them know, “We’re about being the best; it’s what I owe you and everyone else in this organization, and it’s what we owe our customers. So if there’s something I can do to help you, let me know what it is. But this organization is not about mediocrity, and we need to find a way to rise above that and do our best.”

Q: You caution against being too much of a pal to your employees. Why?

A: Because there will be times when you have to discipline people or hold them accountable. Sometimes if they think you’re their friend, they might try to take advantage of that. Also, those who you don’t pal around with, who aren’t in the inner circle, will become resentful. If they sense someone has an unfair advantage or that favoritism is being placed, it becomes a cancer and keeps people from performing their best.

Q: On Benfold, you allowed sailors to critique others’ performances—even yours. Doesn’t allowing employees to criticize the boss undermine his or her authority?

A: There’s a way to do it. If it’s in public on a routine basis, it’s not a good thing. On Benfold, we had after-action reviews, which were set periods [when] we would review policies or procedures, and anyone in the group could challenge anyone else. The lowest-ranking seaman could challenge me, the captain, during the review, as long as they did it respectfully. But outside of the review, they weren’t free to come tell me they didn’t like what I was doing. That said, sometimes we leaders don’t realize that we’re doing something that creates needless work for our employees, and I wanted to have a forum in place where we could discuss problems without being disrespectful or embarrassing anyone.

Q: Roger Valine’s company, Vision Service Plan (VSP), seems old-fashioned in its care for employees. Why has business turned away from that, and is there any way to get it back?

A: Those who can find their way back to old-fashioned values will be the ones who will have the most success. But the pressure is on to go the other way and live for short-term results. Unfortunately, those people are not preparing their organizations for long-term success. vsp is a company that realized its reputation is established by its employees’ interactions with customers each and every day, and that’s why Valine has invested in his people to such an extent.

Q: You wrote that it took Valine a long time to learn to delegate. Is there a danger that too much delegation can cause you to lose control?

A: Delegating doesn’t mean letting your people do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it. That’s anarchy, and that’s where we make mistakes today. People think, “If I delegate too much, I’m not going to get results.” What you have to do is train people how to do their jobs and be sure they understand what the mission is, give them the parameters they’ll be operating in, and then set them free. If someone doesn’t have the tools to do that, then obviously you don’t delegate to them.

Q: What if you empower someone and they screw up?

A: You should never put someone in a position where a bad decision will run you aground. You’re not doing your people any favors if you set them up for failure. But you know what? Nobody’s perfect. I make mistakes, and I’m around today because someone enabled me to learn from them. So you give your employees the right tools and training and make sure they understand the vision, then set them free. They’re still going to let you down once in a while, and when that happens you have an after-action review and figure out what you’re going to do to make sure you never make the same mistake again.

Q: My favorite quote from the book is “Bad news does not improve with age.” How do you motivate people to let you in on problems before they become disasters?

A: You have to create a climate of trust. If you shoot people when they bring you bad news, you create a situation where
people are afraid to approach you. What I tried to do on the [USS Benfold] was reduce that climate of fear so people felt comfortable telling me when bad things happened. Ultimately, it’s our job as leaders to create an atmosphere in which, when things go wrong, it’s expected that our people will let us know.

Q: [Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman] Ward Clapham, who was mentioned in your book, likes to work alongside his people and always be visible. Why is that a good idea?

A: Because it helps build trust. If people see you every day, they’ll become more comfortable telling you what’s going on, what’s working, and what needs [to improve]. My aim in doing that was to try to catch people doing things the right way and let them know about it. If their only interaction with me [takes place] when something goes wrong, it doesn’t lead to a great relationship.

Q: In the book you speak of a manager being his “authentic self” rather than a caricature found in a managerial book. Isn’t it dangerous to depart from accepted leadership methods?

A: Well, it’s dangerous to cross the street. But you take prudent, calculated risks based on your skill level and what your capabilities are. If you’re trying to be someone you’re not because that’s what some book tells you to be, you’ll come across as a fraud. If we try to be what we’re not, our people are going to see right through it and won’t trust us as much.

Q: Do you have any advice for retired servicemembers who are starting a new business?

A: Typically if you’re starting your own business, you’re the president, ceo, duty driver, chief bottle washer, and everything else until you can get things going. You need to be careful building your team in selecting the right person for the right position. We don’t necessarily have the best training for that, coming from the military. The bottom line: You have to have a great idea and the financial means to see it through rough times until you’re established.