Looking to the world stage, he was less terrible than many of his peers.

This is a better question than it first seems, mostly because I think there's two questions in there.

From a business perspective, you want well compensated managers so they don't steal from you.

(Slightly) Less cynically: managers work with maximising business outputs, their job is to align, optimise and synergise production at lowest cost. They would argue that they enable more value than most individual contributors and that their slice of the added value thus becomes larger.

As for why that trajectory is pushed, I believe that is an emergent phenomenon, not designed, as a consequence of that compensation structure, and the transferability of management skills.

There is also the status aspect, in all groups, the leader has more status (=better), but the trajectory goes beyond acting leader (you don't always have the same positive view of your bosses boss) so that will only push you to the next step, but that might be enough to create the ladder.

Philosophically, a business doesn't actually need any particular expert or manager, it needs a competitive advantage. This could be through the best parts, but could just as well be through better design, marketing, sales, costs, or pricing.

If the pay scale was fair, you'd want to be someone who adds capability: can you produce 2x as the other technicians? Then you'd be capped at just under 2x base salary. Can you make the product sell where it otherwise couldn't? You're now capped only by the total profits.

That capability is probably easiest to get and sustain through management/organising skills, but a virtuoso technician, inspired designer, genius marketer or wizard salesman could also carry the business.

Leadership isn't that hard to teach: find any band, raid group, DnD group or scout troop and you'll have a high feedback learning environment for leaders and followers.

There are also several programs teaching a variety of leadership skills.

What's difficult is that much business isn't actually interested in leadership but productivity and control (management), yet conflate the terms.

Just goes to show how much the FIFA peace prize is worth!

Except one fought an oppressor, the other took a trip to do some oppressing themselves.

That's one way to escape Epstein's island.

Maybe the last bit is disgusting, much like certain earth beverages, and the cup is to protect you from the dregs?

There are other things you can do individually as well, like try using the car and AC less, and generally live more frugally.

But remember that 100 companies make up 71% of all human made carbon emissions. It's good to act locally, but we need global action to stop these companies and their supporters, that means voting for competent government.

When the options are between having the choice or not, voting Republican is clearly being complicit.

The other side isn't forcing abortions, it's giving the possibility.

That's good numbers, normally 80% of restaurants die in 5 years.