[hibikir]

It really depends on the company we are talking about. If you look at where Will has worked, it's easy to see why he thinks this way: His executives really were pretty good in general, and some downright great. It's just that his selection of companies, and industries, is not necessarily representative of the world at large.

There are many companies, often older than the ones Will has worked at, which, as you say, tend to have executives with a far lower quality. A non-trivial amount that yes, I'd call awful, especially after seeing the difference with the excellent ones. It's hard to run a good company with a bad executive team though. Therefore, I'd argue that the right take is that, if you are working for a firm that is doing well over average, Will's take is the right one, and that when it isn't right in your environment, you should consider greener pastures.