Annual Air Force Association dinner - Commentary by Ron Hanna

The Air Force Association (Chapter 272) held its annual banquet at the
Worthington Hotel in Fort Worth on March 7 , 2009. The speaker was General Stephen R.
Lorenz., Commander of the Air Education and Training Command at Randolph AFB, TX.
Prior to his current assignment he was Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL.
He is a cornmand pilot with 3,400 hours in ten different aircraft.

He had written two articles entitled "Lorenz on Leadership" and "Lorenz on
Leadership 2" published in the USAF magazine Air & Space Journal in 2005 and 2008
respectively.T he presentationw as a combinationo f the articlesw ith an excellent focus
on some of the key issues in senior leadership principles.

The first principle was often quotedby one ofthe most important leaders of our
previous century - Winston Churchill. When Britain was faced with the dangerous threat
of an invasion by Germany in World War Z,he bolstered the morale of his country with
his "Never give in! Never, never, never, never! In nothing great or small, large or petty,
never give in except to convictions or honor and good sense." How he overcame the
struggles in life before and just following the war is an example for all of us.

The next principle is to "keep our eyes on the ball" knowing what we want to
accomplish regardless of the task and not become distracted. The leaders must never lose
sight of the primary objective: to focus on the mission and take care of their people. Be
prepared to do thorough homework before entering any new endeavor or assignment:
remember, knowledge - power.

When a new challenge is given, saying no finishes the situation, however saying
yes carries with it additional tasks, commitments and responsibilities and perhaps new
resour@s.E specially considert he importanceo f resourcesin completingt he assignment.
Is there an alternate plan if there is loss or no access to planned resources?

Remember that sometimes new ideas need tirne and nurturing to grow and bear
fruit. In order to overcome some of the challenges ahead we must have the patience and
faith to stay the course. Things norrnally do not happen overnight. If some have new
ideas they must be prepared to sell them and not worry about who gets the credit. This
principle is very important to remember as new generations of Airmen enter the Air
Force to help fight the global war on terrorism.

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