Executives have incredible power in shifting culture, and new Boeing CEO's choice to move to Seattle puts this into focus. But it's not without tradeoffs.
I remember when Boeing moved to DC/VA the argument was to be "closer to the customer," specifically the federal government with its defense contracts. Boeing then losing touch with its Seattle heritage and forgetting how to build quality commercial aircraft demonstrates how hard it is for corporate leadership to focus on two different markets at once. Cautiously encouraged by new Boeing CEO’s decision to work out of Seattle and be closer to the factory floor -- being physically present and visible is so important in time of crisis to reset culture -- but I do wonder what this will mean for Boeing's focus in the defense sector. In the end, maybe this is an argument that companies like Boeing should be broken up!