Inbred
Without wishing to become a bullet magnet, I wonder if your man management and project management issues are in part caused by your 'closed shop' system, which breeds its successors exactly in the image of the forefathers.
There are very few organisations in the world nowadays where one has to be a company man 'man and boy' to get to the top. In fact, most CEO's have a breadth of experience in several companies, not necessarily in one industry. Likewise, the Civil Service actively recruits senior managers from outside and the police will accept older recruits.
Now I'm not necessarily suggesting a secondment to Sainsburys after Staff College as a career enhancer but you get my drift. Surely, if you are the 'Top Man' / 'Top Woman' destined for great things, then a tour with the Army or RN must be of benefit to your wider understanding of the military art ? Likewise, could an Army officer do the Staish job well, possibly bringing something different to the party ? (I presume that the nice cushy USAF exchanges are mainly for aircrew).
Probably too simplistic, eh ?
FP retires to lily pad....
P.S. There aren't many accountants in the Civil Service, just lots of civil servants in Finance positions, CRM or not.