Leadership & Management Introduction

Watch this video then continue: 

Oftentimes the lines between leadership and management are blurry. This makes sense because in many cases, the two functions are inextricably linked. This is especially true in the Armed Forces where a person finds themselves in a leadership and/or management position by virtue of their rank or title. As an NCO you have probably experienced this and have begun to understand how important it is to function in both roles.

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to

• describe enlisted desired leadership attributes and management skills,

• give examples of how leadership and management impact organizational performance,

• summarize the relationship between leadership and management, and

• analyze their personal leadership style.

Lesson Intent

This lesson intends for the students to gain an understanding of the various skills and behavior traits that may be required for effective leadership and management of teams and organizations. Additionally, students need to understand the different roles that a leader and manager have and that as NCOs (and future SNCOs) they will be required to fulfill those roles effectively. This lesson should show that there is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach to leadership or management and that everyone should develop their method to be effective leaders/managers. Students should understand that effective leadership requires management and that one cannot exist without the other. Finally, it introduces students to the Enlisted Desired Leader Attributes defined in CJCSI 1805.01C. An understanding of these leader attributes is imperative to developing leaders (both self and others) who embody the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary to succeed in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous battlespace.

This lesson is derived from the NCO/SNCO roles and responsibilities listed in The Enlisted Force Structure (the “Brown Book”), as well as requirements for Joint Leadership and the Enlisted Desired Leadership Attributes (EDLAs) found in CJCSI 1805.01C, Enlisted Professional Military Education Policy.

At the end of this lesson, students should have reached the “understand” level of Bloom’s Taxonomy: construct meaning from instructional messages, including oral, written, and graphic communication.

Student Preparation

• Complete the Leadership and Management student reading.

• Read AFH1, The Airman Handbook, Section 14.7 – Leadership and Management, pp. 264-265 

• Read AFH1, The Airman Handbook, Section 14D – Leadership, pp. 271-277 

References

• AFH1, 15 February 2025, The Airman Handbook. https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afh1/afh1.pdf.

• CJCSI 1805.01C, 1 November 2021, Enlisted Professional Military Education Policy. https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Library/Instructions/CJCSI%201805.01C.pdf?ver=3HCEZBuMHaZSxXmfoUgNzA%3d%3d

• Joint Staff, 2021, Developing Enlisted Leaders for Tomorrow’s Wars. https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/education/epme_tm_vision_digital.pdf?ver=dmj-ILYBhrr-6wq3JhdXog%3D%3D

• The Enlisted Force Structure  (the “Brown Book”), 16 May 2022.