21.2 Airman Leadership Qualities (ALQs)

Air Force PFE Promotion Fitness Examination

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1 Introduction & Exam Overview

1.1 PFE Exam Facts & Format 1.2 The WAPS Scoring System 1.3 The Tested AFH 1 Chapters & Study Strategy

2 Professionalism (AFH 1, Chapter 1)

2.1 The USAF Professional & the Profession of Arms 2.2 The Air Force Core Values & Their Virtues 2.3 Ethical Standards & the Airman's Creed

3 Military Organization & Command (AFH 1, Chapter 5)

3.1 The United States Armed Forces 3.2 The Military Departments & Services 3.3 Military Command Structure & Combatant Commands 3.4 The Air Force Total Force 3.5 Air Force Organizational Structure

4 Enlisted Force Development I (AFH 1, Chapter 7A–7D)

4.1 Leadership Levels 4.2 The Enlisted Force Structure & Tiers 4.3 Duty Titles & Special Positions 4.4 Force Development & the Competency Framework

5 Enlisted Force Development II (AFH 1, Chapter 7E–7H)

5.1 Training Responsibilities & Upgrade Training 5.2 Professional Military Education 5.3 The Community College of the Air Force 5.4 Continuing Education & Voluntary Programs

6 Assessments & Recognition (AFH 1, Chapter 8)

6.1 The Airman Comprehensive Assessment 6.2 Performance Evaluations & the EPB 6.3 Reenlistments, Retention & Continuation 6.4 Awards & Decorations

7 Enlisted Promotions (AFH 1, Chapter 9)

7.1 Promotion Systems & Programs 7.2 Promotion Cycles & Eligibility 7.3 Preparation & Individual Responsibilities 7.4 Promotion Testing & Test Control 7.5 Evaluation Boards & Central Selection

8 Personnel Programs & Benefits (AFH 1, Chapter 11)

8.1 Benefits & Services 8.2 Leave & Authorized Absences 8.3 Military Associations & Civilian Programs

9 Finance, Manpower & Resources (AFH 1, Chapter 12)

9.1 Individual Finances & Allowances 9.2 Official Travel Expenses & Allowances 9.3 Manpower Management 9.4 Resource Management & Stewardship 9.5 Environmental Commitment

10 Developing Organizations (AFH 1, Chapter 13)

10.1 Strategic Thinking & Results Focus 10.2 Resources & Organizational Structure 10.3 Change Management & Problem Solving

11 Developing Others (AFH 1, Chapter 14)

11.1 Teamwork & Team Dynamics 11.2 Develops People: Mentoring, Coaching & Feedback 11.3 Service Mindset & Fostering Effective Relationships 11.4 Leadership: Styles, Power & Influence

12 Developing Self I (AFH 1, Chapter 15A–15C)

12.1 Accountability & Self-Management 12.2 Military Communication 12.3 Preparing to Communicate

13 Developing Self II (AFH 1, Chapter 15D–15F)

13.1 Written Communication 13.2 Spoken Communication 13.3 Electronic Messaging

14 Developing Ideas (AFH 1, Chapter 16)

14.1 What We Know: Priorities & Innovation 14.2 Cognitive Processes & Critical Thinking 14.3 Informed Decision-Making 14.4 What We Don't Know: Uncertainty & Assumptions

15 Emergency Management (AFH 1, Chapter 17)

15.1 Air Force Emergency Management, Disasters & Hazards 15.2 Preparedness, MOPP & Individual Protection 15.3 Crisis Response & Recovery 15.4 Department of the Air Force Mishap Prevention 15.5 Risk Management

16 Security (AFH 1, Chapter 18)

16.1 Integrated Defense & Force Protection Conditions 16.2 Operations Security (OPSEC) 16.3 Information Protection & Classification 16.4 Information Access, Cybersecurity & Mobility 16.5 Antiterrorism

17 Standards of Conduct (AFH 1, Chapter 19)

17.1 A Way of Life: Oaths, Standards & Off-Duty Conduct 17.2 The Law of War 17.3 The Code of Conduct

18 Enforcing Military Standards (AFH 1, Chapter 20)

18.1 The Air Force Inspection System 18.2 Individual Accountability & Corrective Action 18.3 Appropriate Working Relationships & Fraternization 18.4 Addressing Misconduct & Prohibited Behavior

19 Fitness & Readiness (AFH 1, Chapter 22)

19.1 USAF Fitness & Comprehensive Airman Fitness 19.2 The Official Fitness Assessment 19.3 Nutrition & Performance 19.4 Substance Use, Abuse & Treatment Programs 19.5 Readiness State of Mind & Resilience

20 Military Customs & Courtesies (AFH 1, Chapter 24)

20.1 Honored Traditions: Saluting, Titles & Reporting 20.2 Respect for the Flag 20.3 Respect for Individuals 20.4 Ceremonies & Events 20.5 Drill & Formation 20.6 Preserving Our Heritage

21 SJT Format & Competencies

21.1 SJT Format & Mechanics 21.2 Airman Leadership Qualities (ALQs) 21.3 Foundational Competencies & Behaviors

22 SJT Reasoning, Scenarios & Traps

22.1 SJT Reasoning Strategies 22.2 Sample SJT Scenarios 22.3 SJT Traps & Best Practices

21.2 Airman Leadership Qualities (ALQs)

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

There are 10 Airman Leadership Qualities grouped into four major performance areas: executing the mission, leading people, managing resources, and improving the unit.

Per AFI 36-2406 (22 August 2025), the Leading People ALQs are Collaboration, Emotional Intelligence, and Communication.

The four major performance areas stem from AFI 1-2, Commander Responsibilities, and coincide with the Major Graded Areas of the Unit Effectiveness Inspection.

ALQs are evaluated via a proficiency-level scale and appear on the AF Form 724-A, Airman Comprehensive Assessment Addendum.

AFH 1 states that in surveys of Air Force members, accountability has been consistently rated as the most important foundational competency.

Last updated: August 2026

Why the ALQs Matter for the SJT

The SJT is keyed to Air Force foundational competencies (AFH 36-2647) . The Airman Leadership Qualities (ALQs) are a closely related framework — the Air Force's operational statement of the same underlying expectations, used in feedback and evaluation.

The two frameworks are not identical, and it is worth being precise about that. But they describe the same behaviors, they were built from the same body of work, and the ALQs have the practical advantage of being short, published, and definitional . Ten named qualities with one-sentence definitions is a workable mental checklist during a timed exam; the full competency handbook is not.

Use the ALQs as your working vocabulary for identifying what a scenario is testing , then rank the four options by how well they demonstrate that quality. That is the method, and the rest of this section supplies the vocabulary.

The Four Major Performance Areas

Per AFI 36-2406 , ALQs are "ten qualities grouped into four major performance areas (MPAs) that are valued in our Airmen; used to develop and evaluate Airmen; and which are indicative of potential for greater responsibility." They are "evaluated via a proficiency-level scale."

The four MPAs stem from AFI 1-2, Commander Responsibilities , and — as the Air Force noted when announcing them — coincide with the Major Graded Areas of the Unit Effectiveness Inspection program and with the language used to describe expected performance factors provided to promotion boards.

That is a useful connection back to AFH 1 Chapter 20: managing resources, leading people, improving the unit, and executing the mission are the same four Major Graded Areas the UEI evaluates. The Air Force uses one set of categories to inspect a wing, evaluate an Airman, and — through the competency framework — write SJT items.

• The Ten Airman Leadership Qualities
• Executing the Mission

ALQ Definition

Job Proficiency Demonstrates knowledge and professional skill in assigned duties, achieving positive results and impact in support of the mission

Initiative Assesses and takes independent or directed action to complete a task or mission that influences the mission or organization

Adaptability Adjusts to changing conditions, to include plans, information, processes, requirements and obstacles in accomplishing the mission

Leading People

• ALQ Definition
• Collaboration Works with others to achieve shared objectives and complete tasks or missions as a cohesive unit

Emotional Intelligence Exercises self-awareness, manages their own emotions effectively; demonstrates an understanding of others' emotions, and appropriately manages relationships

Communication Articulates information in a clear and timely manner, both verbally and non-verbally, through active listening and messaging tailored to the appropriate audience

A currency note worth knowing. When the ALQs were first announced, the first Leading People quality was titled "Inclusion and Teamwork." AFI 36-2406, dated 22 August 2025, lists it as Collaboration . The definition changed with the title: the older entry read "collaborates effectively with others to achieve an inclusive climate in pursuit of a common goal," while the current rubric reads "works with others to achieve shared objectives and complete tasks or missions as a cohesive unit." Study aids that still print the older label are describing a superseded list. If a question turns on the exact name of a Leading People quality, the current instruction is the authority.

Managing Resources

ALQ Definition

Stewardship Demonstrates responsible management of assigned resources, which may include time, equipment, people, funds and/or facilities

Accountability Takes responsibility for the actions and behaviors of self and/or team; demonstrates reliability and transparency

Improving the Unit

ALQ Definition

Decision Making Makes well-informed, effective and timely decisions under one's control that weigh constraints, risks, and benefits

Innovation Thinks creatively about different ways to solve problems, implements improvements and demonstrates calculated risk-taking

Three, three, two, two. That distribution is the easiest way to check whether you have recalled all ten: Executing the Mission and Leading People carry three each; Managing Resources and Improving the Unit carry two each.

Where the ALQs Appear in Your Career

The ALQs are not an exam-only construct. They appear on the AF Form 724-A, Airman Comprehensive Assessment Addendum , which AFI 36-2406 describes as "designed to guide raters and facilitate discussion when providing constructive feedback to their ratees," used in conjunction with the primary AF Form 724 and AF Form 932, not in lieu of it.

The instruction adds a judgment rule that also applies to reading SJT scenarios: "A rater should use their best judgement when determining the proficiency level of their ratee, bearing in mind that each definition should be relative to the ratee's specific grade, AFSC, and assigned duties."

Relative to grade and duties is the key phrase. An SJT scenario written for the E-5 cycle expects a Staff Sergeant's judgment — a first-line supervisor with training responsibilities — not a flight chief's and not an Airman's. The informational guide notes that scenarios are relevant to the potential rank and duties of the examinee.

Reading a Scenario Through the ALQs

Most SJT scenarios make the relevant quality identifiable once you know the list:

• Scenario pattern Quality most likely being tested
• A subordinate makes an error and you must decide how to respond Accountability , Emotional Intelligence
• The mission timeline or requirement changes mid-task Adaptability , Decision Making
• A teammate is being talked over, excluded, or dismissed Collaboration , Communication
• Resources — time, people, equipment, funds — are short Stewardship , Job Proficiency
• A process is broken and someone could propose a fix Initiative , Innovation
• You disagree with a peer whose background or view differs from yours Collaboration , Emotional Intelligence

That last row is the official sample item from the informational guide — the NCO from a different background — and its keyed answer ( discuss your opinions and try to learn from them ) is exactly what Collaboration plus Emotional Intelligence looks like in practice.

Using the Qualities to Rank the Four Options

Once you have named the quality, evaluate each option against it. Two patterns recur often enough to be worth memorizing.

Patterns that usually mark the LEAST effective option:

Avoiding the problem entirely — ignoring it, waiting to see whether it resolves itself, working around the person

• Acting one-directionally — making sure the other person understands you, without listening
• Escalating immediately past an action clearly within your own authority
• Acting outside regulation or ethics to get a faster result
• Correcting or confronting publicly what should be handled privately

Patterns that usually mark the MOST effective option:

• Engaging directly and two-way — discussing, asking, listening, learning
• Gathering facts before acting , then acting within your authority

Balancing mission accomplishment with care for people — neither abandoning the mission nor treating people as expendable

Following through — documenting, checking back, closing the loop

Using the chain of command appropriately — escalating when the issue genuinely exceeds your authority, but not before

Note how the sample item confirms both lists. Option D ("ignore the NCO as much as possible") is the classic avoidance pattern and is keyed least effective . Option A ("discuss your opinions with the NCO and try to learn from them") is the classic direct-and-two-way pattern and is keyed most effective . Option C ("make sure the NCO fully understands your point of view") is the one-directional variant — plausible, but not the best.

The Competency the Air Force Rates Highest

AFH 1 Section 15A supplies a data point worth carrying into the exam:

"In surveys of USAF members, accountability has been consistently rated as the most important foundational competency for success in a USAF career."

AFH 1 defines it as "demonstrating reliability and honesty and taking responsibility for the behaviors of self and team," and states that it "requires leading by example, admitting mistakes, and doing the right thing even when it is unpopular or difficult."

When a scenario pits an accountable response against an easier one that shifts blame, defers, or lets something slide, the accountable response is very likely the keyed answer. That is not a guess — it reflects the framework the SMEs used to build the key.