Book Review
The book I have been recommending lately is It�s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff, former commander of the USS Benfold. He describes through a variety of first-hand accounts how he was able to lead and address the needs of people in an environment that has a long history of rigid command structure and unforgiving protocol.
What impressed me most about this book on management techniques is that it is written by someone who had to lead people who had essentially no product. The service they provided, their "product," was combat readiness. He acknowledged that each sailor got paid every two weeks, whether they worked hard or performed the bare minimum. I found a number of similarities between his experiences and my observations of the Chicago Police Department.
Other management and leadership books tend to focus on increased productivity or sales. This book focused on taking care of your people. I recommend this book to anyone who is a leader, or wants to become a leader, in law enforcement.
