30 Oct 2009

Opportunities, Chances, Challenges

Opportunities present themselves in so many ways ... whether we are looking for them or not. My first big opportunity came in the form of a lottery. Not the kind that would have made me a millionaire, but one that would change my life forever. Thirteen years ago, this lottery offered my family the chance to emigrate from Nigeria to the United

22 Oct 2009

Lorenz on Leadership - Cherish Your Spouse

Just last week, while walking past the base chapel, I witnessed a scene that caused me to pause and reflect. I turned and watched as people, dressed in their Sunday best, flowed from the chapel doors, smiling and casually chatting. They slowly split into two lines, creating a path that led to a waiting limousine. The crowd stood and waited, fueling

12 Oct 2009

‘What are your goals?’

Oftentimes, we get so busy with our day-to-day lives that we forget to see the bigger picture and lose sight of things. For me personally, I find setting goals to be a helpful way for me to focus on what is important in both my personal and professional life. Our short-term goals are often stepping stones to long-term goals. Taking time to

2 Oct 2009

Standards and discipline ... critical to mission success

Standards and discipline play an important role in mission accomplishment. Ask yourself how can we effectively accomplish the mission if we don't comply with mandated Air Force and DoD standards? If we don't follow the rules, we simply put ourselves in trouble all the time, and certainly won't be able to take care of our people and certainly won't

28 Sep 2009

Consider showing a little kindness

The great Rabbi and teacher, Abraham Joshua Heschel, once wrote, "When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people." That's one of those quotes that I consider a keeper. I'm growing older. In fact, I just turned 50 years of age. And, while in no way do I feel old, I very much agree with the famous Rabbi. The older

22 Sep 2009

Lorenz on Leadership -- A tale of two instructors

Air Education and Training Command is primarily made up of students and instructors. On the surface, the instructors simply teach certain skills so that students are ready for new challenges. In reality, they contribute so much more. Instructors make us better Airmen and continually raise our level of performance by enforcing the standards. They

18 Sep 2009

The power of words

Most of us can remember a time when someone we didn't even know spoke kind words that lifted our spirits. On the other hand, all of us, I'm sure, can remember walking away from a conversation feeling dejected or offended. Often, it was due to a combination of what, when, and how something was spoken. The ability to control our words is definitely a

12 Sep 2009

Organizational success requires each of us to jump on board

When I think about leadership and organizational success, trains come to mind as a useful analogy. Just as all of a train's components are essential and must work in concert with one another for it to reach its final destination, all Airmen play an important and integral role in helping the Air Force reach its objectives. Let me explain. In order

8 Sep 2009

Must I give up my quarter pounder with cheese?

Well they have gone and done it. They are going to start fitness testing us twice a year. I think it's a good move. I mean I'm not one of those people who wait until a couple of months before I'm due to start training. I work out three times a week. OK, OK, I don't always get in three workouts a week, but the point is I am working out regularly. My

1 Sep 2009

Lorenz on Leadership - Technological change

I am a digital immigrant. You see, in the summer of 1972, as a senior at the Air Force Academy, I spent $125 on a small "personal computer." At roughly $650 in today's dollars, the small unit was able to do four things: add, subtract, multiply and divide. It was a cutting edge ... calculator. Although we were only permitted to use it while checking