Being that this is a share trading site I see the same problem with many of the companies that I research in that the directors, the boards seem to make such basic mistakes that you wonder if they have any common sense
I believe that it comes back to what you say -- start at the bottom
In earlier times the head of a business started in the shipping, mail or as a cleaner and worked up. Now we have "fast track" bosses, they do a course in Uni and are awarded the top job on the strength of a good result in the "THEORY" of their subjects.
In Qld a few years ago the Gov in response to nurses demanding more recognition and money said go and get a degree, so good idea, learning more is good.
But they came out of Uni as experts with a degree and no longer wanted to be a nurse they wanted to be top of the tree, so the health system IMHO went down the tube from that point as there are no bosses as they are all experts, they had never learnt the basics and had no practical experience and very little common sense, which develops from practical on the job experience
Politicians do not have to have any qualifications in anything
Most in the bureaucracy get to a top job by outlasting the opposition not for any other reason and politicians sometimes just have enough money to buy their way in.
It is essential to either have that knowledge of the basics or the ability to learn it.
Although I did a lot of study in my time I have come to almost hate academics and experts, as they have taken it upon themselves to be the oracles of all knowledge, like ALL the scientists that tell us the world is coming to an end due to GW because we take more than 4 minutes in the shower.
