By: Lt Col Ryan VanArtsdalen

The 3rd Munition Squadron (3 MUNS) in formation to be recognized as the DoD Maintenance Effectiveness Award winners. (Photo by Lt Col Ryan VanArtsdalen, 2024)


This article is a condensed version of a longer research paper submitted to Air University’s Air Command and Staff College as part of an Air Force Resilience Research Task Force. The full research paper includes more scholarly definitions, illustrations, and practical examples from the field. To read the full paper, please contact the author via the Global Outlook.

Imagine stepping into a workplace where people are disconnected, mission focus is fractured, and innovation feels impossible. There’s no clear sense of direction, and despite technical talent, the organization struggles to adapt or respond under pressure. It’s not because people don’t care—it’s because the culture is not aligned. In today’s complex environments, such as Mission Command and Agile Combat Employment (ACE), success demands more than procedures and compliance—it requires an organizational culture that empowers Airmen, fosters creative problem-solving, and propels the team to persist and overcome challenges.1

Culture First, People Always Concept. (Developed by Lt Col Ryan VanArtsdalen)

Culture First, People Always is a leadership model developed by the author from experience and reinforced by research. Culture is the invisible architecture that shapes everything from daily decisions to how teams respond to crises. And people are not simply assets to be managed—they are the core engine of mission effectiveness. This model reframes resilience as a strategic offense rather than a reactive necessity. It empowers leaders to intentionally build trust, foster adaptability, and drive high performance in any environment. In an era of re-optimizing for Great Power Competition, increasing mental health issues across the DoD, and everlasting national security threats—a culture of organizational resilience is needed now more than ever.

Culture often gets reduced to a buzzword, but it is much more than that. According to organizational theorists like Edgar Schein, culture is a layered construct encompassing visible behaviors, shared beliefs, and unconscious assumptions.2 These layers shape how teams think, act, and respond—especially when things go wrong. Toxic or disjointed cultures often develop when these layers are misaligned or ignored. When behaviors contradict values or leaders fail to reinforce norms, culture erodes—with it, cohesion and mission performance.

Resilience, on the other hand, is typically treated as an individual trait or a set of coping mechanisms. However, research by resilience expert, Dr. Stephanie Duchek, shows that resilience is a capability—one that can be developed at the organizational level.3 Her model outlines three phases of resilience: anticipation, coping, and adaptation. Most organizations focus only on coping. They wait for a crisis, then respond. But resilient organizations anticipate challenges, prepare for them, and learn from adversity in a way that makes them stronger. This cycle must be embedded into both culture and leadership.

That’s where Culture First, People Always (CFPA) comes in. It begins with the deliberate design of culture through three key elements:

  1. Unity of Purpose – A shared vision connecting everyone to the broader mission, clarifying roles, and creating collective meaning.
  2. Observable Behaviors – The rituals, habits, and day-to-day actions that reinforce the organization’s values.
  3. Cognitive Values – The internal beliefs and mental models that guide individual and group decision-making, especially under stress.

Culture First, People Always Leadership Model. (Developed by Lt Col Ryan M. VanArtsdalen)

Together, these elements establish the foundation of a resilient culture. But culture alone is not enough. It must be activated through leadership that puts people at the center—not in theory, but in practice. The second half of the CFPA model includes six leadership practices that foster resilience across individuals and teams. These practices were chosen based on psychological and organizational research, and they work best when used in harmony, not isolation. Think of it like your grandma’s famous baking recipe. It’s the same ingredients and resources others already have, but when baked in the right way with the right conditions—extraordinary things can happen.

People Always Leadership Practices. (Developed by Lt Col Ryan VanArtsdalen)

Purpose. Purpose gives people clarity about why their work matters. It’s more than a mission statement—it is the daily sense that one’s efforts contribute to something larger. Research from Stanford University shows that people with a strong sense of purpose experience higher levels of hope, happiness, and perseverance.4 Leaders must help individuals connect their personal goals to the organization’s mission. Do not just chase metrics, build meaning. Purpose aligns every Airman to something bigger than a task list. When you connect culture to mission, values to action, and behaviors to beliefs, everything changes. When people understand why they serve, then how they serve will transform.

Connectedness. Humans are wired for connection. Neuroscience confirms that trust and cooperation increase when people feel valued and supported.5 Connected teams communicate better, solve problems faster, and bounce back from adversity more effectively. Leaders build connections through meaningful relationships, inclusive traditions, and shared challenges. It’s not about forced camaraderie—it’s about creating a sense of belonging, a congregation that fuels loyalty and cohesion.

Development. Resilient organizations nourish the growth of their people. They mentor, challenge, and equip individuals to succeed in dynamic environments. Research highlights the link between developmental leadership and psychological capital—the self-efficacy, hope, and optimism that drive performance.6 Great leaders see potential before it is proven and stretch their teams to rise to it. This growth mindset builds confidence, adaptability, and creativity—critical components of resilience.

Recognition. In high-performing cultures, people feel seen. Recognition is more than awards—it’s a way to affirm contributions, reinforce values, and motivate excellence. Studies show that consistent, authentic recognition boosts engagement, mental well-being, and retention.7 Yet, in many organizations, recognition is sporadic or reserved for a few. A leader’s job is to induce positive organizational behaviors. Unfortunately, too many leaders get stuck in handling discipline to achieve this effect. Instead, find the right balance between discipline and recognition. Normalize celebrating both big wins and daily efforts that boost camaraderie and their drive toward the collective mission success.

People Always Leadership Practices. (Developed by Lt Col Ryan VanArtsdalen)

Well-being. Too often, organizational culture rewards burnout and glorifies overwork. However, research shows that without balance, performance suffers, morale declines and long-term readiness erodes.8 Life philosopher Chris Heathwood argues that well-being is subjective and shaped by personal fulfillment—meaning leaders have a role in helping people align their work with what matters most in life.9 This includes leadership creating policies and norms that support health, family, and rest. Resilience requires recovery, so peak performance can be achieved when called upon. Well-being is not selfish—it is necessary to sustain mission readiness.

Psychological Safety. It is the belief that one can speak up, share ideas, foster creativity, and take risks without fear of punishment or ridicule. Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson and others have shown that psychological safety is essential for learning, innovation, and team agility.10 When people feel safe, they contribute more fully and think more creatively to solve problems. When they don’t, critical information can be withheld. Leaders must foster an environment where feedback is welcomed, mistakes are debriefed constructively, and every voice has value.

These six practices work together to create the conditions in which people thrive. And when people thrive, organizations become more adaptable, creative, and resilient. But these are not just internal benefits. They directly enhance mission performance—especially under decentralized leadership models like Mission Command or in contested environments requiring ACE.11 These concepts depend on initiative, trust, and resilience at every level. CFPA provides the cultural and leadership framework needed to make them a winning strategy. It can train Airmen to think critically, act independently, and adapt under pressure—not because they were told to, but because the culture empowered that action in their everyday lives.

Ultimately, Culture First, People Always reframes the leader’s role. It is no longer just about setting direction and driving compliance. It’s about shaping the conditions in which people can become their best selves—professionally and personally. It’s about building a culture that can anticipate change, endure pressure, and evolve in the face of uncertainty. The measurement of a leader’s success should not be how great of a decision they can make; rather, it’s about how the culture they foster enables better decisions across the organization.

Resilience is established through daily habits, aligned behaviors, and leaders who lead with courage and compassion. When culture is aligned and people are prioritized, higher levels of sustained mission success follow. In today’s Air Force, it’s a strategic imperative.

The 3 MXG hosted its first quarterly Mission Generation competition that included bomb-building by 3 MUNS Airmen. (Photo by Lt Col Ryan VanArtsdalen, 2023)

The Culture First, People Always leadership model is more than just theory—it was the driving force behind the 3rd Munitions Squadron’s transformation into the best maintenance unit in the entire Department of Defense, earning the prestigious 2024 Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award.12 The unit’s experimental strategy centered on aligning culture with leadership practices to create resilient, high-performing teams. By intentionally shaping a shared purpose, reinforcing daily behaviors, and instilling cognitive values, unit leaders fostered a unified and empowered environment. Combined with people-focused leadership practices—like connectedness, recognition, and psychological safety—this model turned everyday Airmen into trusted innovators and decision-makers, ready to operate independently in high-stress, mission-critical scenarios as tested during multiple deployments. The results were undeniable: record-breaking operational output, unmatched readiness, and a team recognized at the highest levels of defense. Implementing a “Culture First, People Always” approach provides a deliberate framework for organizations to achieve and sustain superior mission success.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the US Government. 

About the Author

U.S. Air Force Maj. Ryan VanArtsdalen, the 3rdMunitions Squadron commander, coins a 3rd MUNS Airman during a squadron coining ceremony in recognition of the squadron earning the Maintenance Effectiveness Award at the Headquarters Air Force level,at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 14,2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by SrA Julia Lebens)

Lt Col Ryan M. VanArtsdalen is an Air University Fellow in the Department of Leadership at the Air Command and Staff College. With 22 years of service across six Major Commands, NATO, Air Staff, Joint Staff, and OIF/OEF, he has led thousands of Airmen and commanded at the squadron level. He is a career maintenance and munitions officer, and is a graduate of the Air Force’s Logistics Career Broadening Program and the Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School (AMMOS).

Works Cited

  1. U.S. Air Force, Air Force Doctrine Publication 1-1: Mission Command (2023); U.S. Air Force, Agile Combat Employment Doctrine Note 1-21 (2021).
  2. Edgar H. Schein, Organizational Culture and Leadership, 5th ed. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2017).
  3. Stephanie Duchek, “Organizational Resilience: A Capability-Based Conceptualization,” Business Research 13, no. 1 (2020): 215–246.
  4. Kendall Cotton Bronk and Derrick McLean, “The Role of Passion and Purpose in Leader Developmental Readiness,” New Directions for Student Leadership (2016).
  5. Sebastian Junger, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (New York: Hachette, 2016); Michael Kosfeld et al., “Oxytocin Increases Trust in Humans,” Nature 435 (2005).
  6. Saeid Karimi et al., “Transformational Leadership and Psychological Capital,” Sustainability 15, no. 2 (2023).
  7. Stephanie Gilbert and Kevin Kelloway, “Leadership, Recognition and Well-Being,” Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences 35, no. 4 (2018).
  8. Yu-Li Lan et al., Organizational Culture and Job Stress Research (Medical Workforce Study).
  9. Chris Heathwood, “Desire Satisfaction Theory and Well-Being,” Philosophy Compass.
  10. Amy Edmondson, “Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams,” Administrative Science Quarterly.
  11. Timothy Causey, War Is a Learning Competition (Air Command and Staff College, 2020).
  12. U.S. Department of Defense, “Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards Winners,” 2024.