Lorenz: Effective leadership built on core values, history

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jacob Corbin
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Air Education and Training Command leader Gen. Stephen Lorenz recently took a few minutes to discuss leadership when he visited Columbus Air Force Base as part of the AETC Commander's and Command Chief's Conference March 2-6.

General Lorenz said all leadership is built on ideas that should be familiar to all Airmen, whether officer, enlisted or civilian.

"I believe all leadership, especially in the United States Air Force, is built on the core values of integrity, service and excellence," he said. "All leaders, if they follow those values, should do one other thing - be themselves."

The general said people shouldn't change, or want to change who they are. He said what leaders need to do is sort out their positive and negative attributes, and then accentuate the good ones while minimizing the negative ones.

Those looking to grow and improve as a leader should look to the past, he continued.

"Remember that there are millions of leaders who have gone before you," General Lorenz said. "If you study their leadership abilities and techniques - I think you'll be a better leader. You'll realize you haven't had an original thought since you were born, especially in the realm of leadership. Because even though the technology changed over time, people are still people and that's what leadership is all about."

"The most exciting thing about being a leader is that there is no one way, that's why anyone can be a leader," General Lorenz said.

General Lorenz said that not only is everyone capable of being a leader, but everyone's a leader for one reason or another.

"A slick sleeve Airman who has nobody working for him is a leader, the reason being is, he sets an example," he said.

In a 2005 article in Air and Space Journal (the original Lorenz on Leadership), General Lorenz laid out his 13 personal leadership principles and encouraged others to lay out their own. During the interview he said he came to his principles through a lifetime of experiences and learning off others.

He said he learns things every day from his superiors, his peers and his subordinates, but his subordinates teach him the most.

"I learn most from my subordinates because they have such great knowledge and wisdom, and I try and listen to them and get their feedback," General Lorenz said.

The general said those interested in laying out their own leadership principles should take their life experiences and analyze them for things they find that are true, and would help them to be effective as a leader and they should write them down.

He added that both his list and other people's personal lists are not constant and should not be constant.

"They ebb and flow and they continue to grow," he said. "The list may get longer or it may even get shorter, but who cares? Its just what are you going to get up and talk to your people about, what are you going to tell them and what do you believe as a leader."

The general added that he believes everyone's lists should include integrity, because "that's the bedrock of all leadership."