Smart Business Magazine, February 2016

February 2016 Smart Business Columbus 27 Thats like trying to talk with a horse sitting in your lap Lohrenz says At the same time all the blood is pulling from your brain and settling in your lower body cavity trying to escape out your toes and it feels like your toenails are going to pull off So theres a lot of pressure Lohrenz shared her story of being a pioneer in military aviation and how she has transitioned to civilian life when she spoke in August at Executive Womens Day at Firestone Country Club in Akron Ohio The business forum is sponsored by Astellas Pharma US Inc and brings together influential women from the Akron area to focus on professional development networking and health and wellness Lohrenz the events keynote speaker and author of Fearless Leadership High Performance Lessons from the Flight Deck spoke about her current role speaking about the fundamentals of winning under pressure reducing errors and overcoming obstacles Ill often hear people say Im not in a leadership position so I dont know if this leadership thing applies to me Lohrenz says I get that from a broad level But the only way you can become the leader or contributor you were meant to be is if you understand that your first role as a leader is leading yourself What are the things youre good at What are some things you need help with We all need help with something Break it down It may seem to some like an impossible task to deal with the many many responsibilities that come with being a fighter pilot and Lohrenz admits it isnt easy But she adds that she wasnt born with the skills to do it The easiest way to break down what we do in a way that people outside of the fighter pilot world would be able to implement is the idea of aviate navigate and communicate Lohrenz says Aviate means first things first focus on what matters At the end of the day you have to aviate Just fly the airplane Maintain control keep it safe Without that first step nothing else matters In business when a crisis pops up people feel overwhelmed The first thing you need to do is slow down and make sure everybody is safe stable and operational Once that is done Lohrenz says you have to navigate and figure out what youre going to do next and then communicate Tell people Heres the problem and heres what were going to do about it she says These few things are what your priority have to be right now Fighter pilots arent born with the innate ability to prioritize tasks like that in high stress environments We learn the skills to do that Its that constant reorienting and refocusing on what matters You can use the same tools in the civilian world to improve your execution even in a crisis Sense of purpose Lohrenz felt the pressure of being a role model for other women as she came up through the Navy to become a fighter pilot I didnt want to be the one who ruined it for anybody who might come next Lohrenz says But there was also an element that I didnt understand why there was all this attention because women had flown since the 40s It was difficult for me to understand how we had forgotten that women had been flying for 60 years prior to me But that didnt make it any less stressful The key for making a successful transition from military life to being a civilian again has been finding a sense of purpose You go from no matter what branch of service youre in you had an extraordinary sense of purpose day in and day out Lohrenz says You knew why you were there That is much more difficult to find in the civilian sector Speaking to groups about how to overcome challenges has been a great opportunity for Lohrenz who is working on earning her MBA in strategic leadership and writing her second book That adrenaline kick is what people miss she says Thats why I love what I do now I work with so many organizations that it keeps me engaged and on my toes How to reach Carey Lohrenz 310 903 1971 or www careylohrenz com