Quality leadership in aerospace isn’t just about specs, audits, or process controls, it’s about navigating the politics of being the only one in the room tasked with slowing things down in a culture obsessed with speed. Quality is praised in theory, tolerated in meetings, and resisted the moment it affects cost, schedule, or someone’s reputation. Anyone who has led in this space knows the reality: people want safe, conforming product... until safety and conformity get expensi