That the billionaire SAS co-founder is still writing code should be inspiration for so many managers and executives who unlike him are no billionaires and yet have no tangible skills. When comes time of organizations to trim fat and become the bare bones versions of their former selves, there folks are the worst hit. Their skills don't always travel well and they are so far and long removed from any core discipline that it becomes hard for them to actually "do" any real work.
This is particularly true in the information technology business where technical obsolescence renders management and executive skills irrelevant as well. Consider someone whose last hands on job experience involved programming in Cobol for mainframes, chances are they would find nothing to borrow from that learning that is relevant to their present day job. They would not be the most qualified to make technology purchase or implementation decisions let alone be a good mentor to the team. Then there is the whole idea of leading by example. In geek circles, a manager who gets it is much more likely to earn their respect and cooperation that one who is largely clueless.
