Christopher Mims reviews Keep it Simple by Harmut Esslinger:
Almost immediately, Esslinger told Jobs that designers were often hamstrung by their low position in corporate hierarchies, including at Apple, which resulted in “structurally determined mediocrity.”
Designers couldn’t simply be at the table: They had to be in charge. This leads to Esslinger’s central lessons for all companies aspiring to be like Apple: Beautiful design requires designers in charge.
Sadly, “structurally determined mediocrity” describes much of what I have seen in corporate America very well.