Zoology
Crustacean
A large group of arthropods including crabs, lobsters, shrimp, barnacles, and copepods, typically having a hard exoskeleton and two pairs of antennae.
Biological Context
Crustaceans must molt to grow, periodically shedding their exoskeleton and growing a new larger one. During molting, they are extremely vulnerable. This growth-through-vulnerability cycle is fundamental to crustacean life history and creates predictable periods of weakness.
Business Application
Organizations also grow through molting—shedding old structures (reorgs, pivots) to enable new growth. Like crustaceans, companies are vulnerable during transitions. Timing organizational molts and managing the vulnerable transition period is a key leadership skill.