Netflix began streaming TITAN on June 11, and I had been counting the days to watch it. I was captivated by Titanic when it hit theaters years ago—and this time was no different. What I expected was a story about innovation and risk. What I didn’t expect was a case study in the human side of compliance—how leadership, culture, and silence can shape outcomes long before disaster strikes.
What stood out wasn’t just the technology. It was the decisions. The moments when people tried to speak up. The reactions that followed. The ripple effects of being ignored.
What TITAN makes painfully clear is this:
Employees often see risk coming—but silence sets in when the cost of speaking up feels too high.
When concerns are dismissed or punished, organizations lose their best defense.
Compliance and safety protocols are not constraints—they’re commitments.
Bypassing them for speed or ego doesn’t make an organization bold—it makes it brittle.
Leadership shapes culture, whether intentionally or not.
When leaders welcome questions and challenges, the organization gets stronger. When they don’t, silence takes root.
The TITAN tragedy isn’t just a cautionary tale—it’s a reminder that culture is built in everyday moments: what we encourage, what we reward, and what we ignore.
And sometimes, the most dangerous thing in the room isn’t the risk itself.
It’s believing no one’s allowed to name it.
