I feel like Chris Wilson's talk Designing Path of Exile to Be Played Forever is a great example of "a generalist leader with some authority, gaming experience, gaming systems and design, and passion": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmuy9fyNUjY
I've listened to Chris and am a huge fan of his. The depth, experience, and love he puts into POE clearly demonstrates a generalist who gets it. Chris is a linchpin.
This is exactly the kind of people Blizzard lacks. They used to exist but they pushed out many of the generalists for the factory model of specialists and haven't really recovered since.
That doesn't mean they don't make decent games given the talent of the specialists in art and development, but the game design itself really requires a broader individual or group to bring it together.
Thanks for share.