Leadership, Management and Command:
The Officer’s trinity.[1]

W B Howieson & H Kahn

The acts of leading, managing and commanding (based on either philosophy or practice) have had to adapt throughout the history of the Royal Air Force, in concert with changing environments; these acts will have to change again in the 21st century and will require new skills, new attitudes and differing perspectives of the Officer’s trinity.

INTRODUCTION

There is a plethora of literature on leadership, management and command. In the civilian (business) market, there are – literally – thousands of books on leadership; management; and leadership and management as a ‘dual’ concept. However, there are no books in the business market on what the military call ‘command’.[i]

In contrast, in the military domain, there are an equal amount of books on leadership; command; and leadership and command together. However, very little has been written – to date – about military management; this represents a very serious limitation. New business practices and performance management systems now require capable senior managers and leaders and private sector organizations have found clear strategic benefit in providing a structured approach to the developmental needs of senior executives.

Although it is recognized that leadership, management and command are closely related (especially in the military environment), comparatively little has been written on the nature and practice on the 3 subjects as ‘a state of being three’. This view has also been recognised in the recent Defence Training Review Report where it states: “The pressures of limited resources and increased accountability have placed new demands on Ministry of Defence leaders, as has the challenge of leading a more diverse workforce…in parallel, our studies showed that we must do more to prepare our