We utilize real-time scattering techniques to examine the mesoscopic and molecular response of a nonionic surfactant hexagonal mesophase to shear and extensional flows. These results are correlated with the rheological response in simple shear. During shear there is an initial modest orientation of the surfactant rods along the flow direction. This is followed by a progressive further increase in alignment over the next 500 shear units. This process of rod alignment corresponds to the progressive development of shear thinning, which might be anticipated from molecular theories developed for liquid crystalline polymer systems (LCPs). It is surprising, however, that equilibrium requires such large strains, not seen in LCPs, possibly due to a unique feature of the surfactant mesophase: the ability to rupture under stress and reform. This long structure induction time has clear implications for conventional rheology, which may rarely reach an equilibrium response. By contrast, in an extensional flow the orientation is achieved much faster, over about two strain units, and is much more perfect (P 2 ∼ 0.9). Threads spun are stable, which may point to extensional thickening. It is likely that in real flows, relevant to industrial applications, it is the response to extensional components of the flow (such as convergent channels, flow around obstacles, bifurcations) which dominates the behavior of the mesophase.