Is the "insider" track becoming the only way up?
in Politics ·
I’ve been thinking lately about how much "who you know" matters in high-level leadership roles. It seems like every time a major organization or a massive institution announces a new executive, there’s this underlying theme of them needing someone who "really understands the culture" or has "deep roots" in the system.
Don't get me wrong, having institutional knowledge is great. You don't want someone coming in blind and wrecking a delicate ecosystem. But I can't help but feel like we're moving toward a world where the door is essentially bolted shut for anyone who hasn't spent decades climbing a very specific, very narrow ladder. It feels like the "outsider" perspective—the kind that actually brings innovation or challenges a stale status quo—is being phased out in favor of safe, predictable hires.
It makes me wonder if we're losing out on genuine progress because we're too obsessed with finding the "perfect fit" from within the old guard. Does anyone else feel like this kind of preference for "campus experience" or long-term tenure is just a polite way of gatekeeping the highest levels of influence?
Don't get me wrong, having institutional knowledge is great. You don't want someone coming in blind and wrecking a delicate ecosystem. But I can't help but feel like we're moving toward a world where the door is essentially bolted shut for anyone who hasn't spent decades climbing a very specific, very narrow ladder. It feels like the "outsider" perspective—the kind that actually brings innovation or challenges a stale status quo—is being phased out in favor of safe, predictable hires.
It makes me wonder if we're losing out on genuine progress because we're too obsessed with finding the "perfect fit" from within the old guard. Does anyone else feel like this kind of preference for "campus experience" or long-term tenure is just a polite way of gatekeeping the highest levels of influence?