Amateur Move, Mav! It never works in executive negotiations.
And It Didn’t Work at the White House Either…
Zelenskyy was given the deal. Multiple people told him what it was and he arrived at the White House under the pretense of signing it.
With the world watching the stage was set.
Then… the rug pull.
At the last minute, he backed out. He never intended to sign anything. It was a calculated move, not a misunderstanding. A bait-and-switch played out in front of the world.
In business, this is a deal killer. Nothing screams “amateur” louder than pulling the rug at the last second.
“I know you said it’s an on-site role, but I’m going to work from home 10 days a month. I’m much more effective that way.”
“Yes, we agreed on VP of Ops, but I should actually be COO. And it should come with a lot of equity—big job, big reward.”
“Yeah, we said we’d relocate, but now I think I’m going to commute Monday-Thursday. Let’s re-evaluate in a year.”
“Ohhh yeah, we did agree on price… but you never asked about shipping, warranty, or dealer extras. That’s another $10K.”
These aren’t power moves. They’re trust killers. And once trust is gone, so are the opportunities.
Remember, doors close fast.
Rarely do they reopen.
Craig Picken is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. My clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, I have personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines
