Most experts (who understand what a department head is) don't want to be department heads. In the UK there used to be a tradition of making someone be head of d

Most experts (who understand what a department head is) don't want to be department heads. In the UK there used to be a tradition of making someone be head of department for 2 years or so and then letting them become a professor again so that the next junior could do the head of stint! This has faded because of much nastier politics (everyone hates you after you sacked their friends) and a rise in admin due to the industrialization of the bigger departments (its not a job for an amateur any more)