A Sense of Purpose: The Bedrock of the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent
"The paradox of war is, the adversary will always move against your perceived
weakness. So a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent is there to ensure a war that
can never be won, is never fought." Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis went on
to say, "I am absolutely convinced that having this safe, secure, and effective deterrent is
critical—the most critical piece of our nation's defense."
“At the end of the day,
deterrence comes down to the men and women in uniform.”
The question this paper
addresses is: how do we motivate Airmen to give their best to perform this unsung duty,
day after day, for years at a time?
A recent study found clarity of purpose to be the basis of verifiable mission
success, purposeful leadership, and esprit de corps, which suggests that clearly
communicating the higher purpose of their work to Airmen would help them find
meaning in their tasks.
A sense that their work is meaningful, the result of internalizing
a higher purpose, underpins the safety and security cultures critical to a successful
nuclear enterprise.
This paper will build on their findings by focusing on five leadership principles,
which, if collectively and effectively implemented, would provide the bedrock for safe,
secure, and effective nuclear operations. The following principles have broad application
to organizational leadership studies as a whole, but are specifically relevant to the
military:
1. Develop and consistently communicate purpose, vision, and mission statements.
2. Establish and observe priorities, goals, objectives, and tasks.
3. Balance positional and personal power in order to achieve active followership.
4. Acknowledge the role followers and contexts play in nuclear operations.
5. Divest control in order to foster genuine empowerment.
This paper will examine each of these principles by introducing the leadership concept,
identifying the particular importance it plays in providing a credible nuclear deterrent,
and offering an effective method for implementation.
Purpose, Vision, and Mission Statements
"Good squadron leaders lead their teams to achieve the team's purpose,
but those leaders also understand their purpose as leaders more broadly.
“Air Force Association 2017 Air, Space and Cyber Conference,” U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE, accessed February 10, 2020,
https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Speeches/Speech/Article/1318960/air-
force-association-2017-air-space-and-cyber-conference/.
“2018 Nuclear Posture Review,” III, accessed February 10, 2020,
https://media.defense.gov/2018/Feb/02/2001872886/-1/-1/1/2018-NUCLEAR-
POSTURE-REVIEW-FINAL-REPORT.PDF.
Stephen L Davis and William W Casey, “A Model of Air Force Squadron Vitality,”
n.d., 6.
