Lohrenz steals the show at Executive Women’s Day

Carey Lohrenz, the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy, gave a rousing speech to more than 100 businesswomen at Executive Women’s Day, sponsored by Astellas. 

Lohrenz educated attendees about leadership, teamwork and the importance of “a good attitude” through personal anecdotes and experiences. Lohrenz, who described flying as “a controlled car crash,” explained that a good attitude does not mean being friendly or social, but rather “maintaining a standard of excellence and being all in.”

Lohrenz stressed the importance of having a strong team. She stated, “It takes an entire high performing team to get the job done,” and knowing your team’s goals is the key to success. Being oriented around one goal helps teams know what to focus on, and thus makes it easier to prioritize the important tasks over details. This is key to effective leadership, as it becomes clear what to “say yes to” and what you must turn down.

She also acknowledged that “teams that know their purpose are the teams that make it in the long run.”

Finally, Lohrenz spoke on career advancement. 

“The onus needs to be on you to take ownership of developing your skill set,” she told attendees. “If you are not able to adapt to a rapid pace of change, you will become irrelevant.” 

She encouraged women to always be their biggest supporter and take a moment every day to appreciate all their hard work. 

“Purpose, focus and discipline,” she explained. “Speed is life.”

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