The Serengeti Tiger: A Force of Nature in Leadership
Two words to describe my good friend: Serengeti Tiger.
He’s a force of nature who has led multiple corporate turnarounds and three IPOs. He roams free range and thrives under pressure. He’s a killer.
But put him inside Lockheed or Boeing and he’d die. Or worse, they’d kill him.
He couldn’t handle the confining structure of hierarchy. They couldn’t handle his free-range nature.
It’s simply not a culture fit.
Big Companies vs. Founder Mentality
More prominent in the news: Mark Zuckerberg just paid billions for a few expensive AI hires. Not shockingly, friction already exists between them and the “old guard.” That marriage won’t last.
It’s the same challenge across aerospace and defense. Founder mentality vs. big company culture. Free range killers trying to make it work, or change, a staid system. Enter stage left the culture clash.
As an aerospace executive recruiter, I’m often the first interaction between company and executive. My role is to determine “good fit” early in the process, before both sides waste time, money, and momentum.
Lessons From 17 Years in Aerospace Executive Search
Here’s what I’ve learned:
- “Forces of nature” don’t thrive in big companies.
- People used to big-company systems may not thrive in the chaos of a startup.
- Aerospace, now dominated by consolidation, is killing off the “Serengeti Tigers” who once drove innovation
As one CEO recently told me, “Consolidation has killed off the killer instinct in sales. It’s all farming, programs, and big company stuff.”
He’s not wrong.
Why Competition Still Matters
Competition breeds better organizations and products.
Now the bigger competition is with China, and its leaders ain’t screwing around.
If we lose our Serengeti Tigers, the entrepreneurial, aggressive leaders who thrive on the hunt, do we risk losing aerospace leadership altogether?
About Craig Picken
Craig Picken is an aerospace executive recruiter, Naval Flight Officer, and host of The Aerospace Executive Podcast. With 17+ years in retained search and 400+ executive placements, he helps companies find the leaders who thrive in aerospace, defense, and MRO industries.
