Not a perfect comparison but -sounds a built like the automotive Big 3 C-suites in Detroit in the 80s and 90s. My I could tell you stories.

Oh, I bet. At Intel there was a tranche of the hard-core dudes who build the company from zero who got stuff done. Their no-nonsense culture (which would never fly in today's workplace) led to knock-down, drag out fights in conference rooms. But they knew how to "disagree and commit" and exit every workplace brawl (I'm not speaking literally) with a plan.

Their successors weren't as good or as tough -or- the people who Used To Get Things Done moved into upper management. I worked for a guy who would remind everyone he was on the team that Did This One Thing...20 years ago. Even promoted t-shirts with his face on them. He had a great perch and wanted to ride that thing. New idea? Pshaw.

Dudes like him just dotted the senior ranks until they became the majority. They took all the worst parts of the old culture (My way or the highway) and tossed out what used to result in innovative breakthroughs. That began a slow descent into them doing less and less new things over time...and a slow bleed of talent.

They would still have some FANTASTIC VPs. The slide really got going when they put Krazanich in charge - he drove employee morale off the cliff. Then came a caretaker in Swan before they brought Gelsinger back. Pat got a raw deal - the seeds of their semiconductor process woes were planted in 2012-2013 and the bill came due in Pat's tenure.