"some kind of academic career" - AFAIK it is very competitive. "and the people that are actually valuable are the people directing things" - how many jobs did

"some kind of academic career" - AFAIK it is very competitive. "and the people that are actually valuable are the people directing things" - how many jobs did you change? People and teams can differ a lot in different places. Some managers are not just talking well at meetings, but take responsibility etc.