I genuinely think executives are almost all dead weight once you get high enough in an org but your opinion may differ.

Sure, I mean the wide array of shitty execs we have nowadays certainly. But a strong project leader with the backing of the organization they lead is a powerful combination and I don't discount it when I think about how things should be run.

In other words, I do think it's a good idea to have an especially qualified person "in charge" of getting shit done, but our current system of capitalist self-enrichment only works in a "broken clock is right twice a day" sorta way.