I use to run a small company of about two dozen individuals as a general manager. In my time, we achieved a near ten fold fold increase in revenue, and increased global participants to about the same. Now, of those within my team, few came with degrees, and most did not. Not following the outline of corporate America, I brought on people with a passion and a talent, with a specific skill set not offered from piece of paper. It was wildly successful. To this day, what I recall among this specific experience was that those whom challenged me the most, those that contributed the least, in my own little world, were the degreed candidates. That's not to say that's how it is in the real world, or in my other life experiences, just in this specific experience which could have been a one off. I believe that managers decisions will always make or break the department/company. If you are dull at the top, you will acquire dull talent. I was a general manager, without a degree, which raised company revenue ten fold.
My single issue within GM and other like companies, is that there is not a system inside to expose and utilize a rare gem, that might identify to the talent caliber of perhaps a Steve Jobs, a Bill Gates, etc, working among their ranks, before they actually leave to do their own monumental things in life.
As for GM, they do have the knowledge center. I was asked from my colleagues why I don't teach there. I'm not qualified because I lack a piece of paper. They do offer coursework, but it's not in the manner in which applies to an actual degree. It's a skilled trades type of learning, meaning what you do there, applies to what you do within GM in real life, you know, real world stuff and not college fluff in which hiring managers actually hire. The problem is not the knowledge center itself. The problem is that if it's not online and readily available, your manager will likely tell you that if it isn't relevant to your specific job function, it's not needed. You don't have the time to go and sit over there an learn.
In my time at GM, the sole reason I was able to help train and mentor hundreds of people within my sphere, was because of my diverse exposure to real world experiences spanning so many years. I come with no degree, yet I trained hundreds of individuals with associates, bachelors, masters, and dual degrees. I trained these people, yet I have no degree. What I do have, are more friends and acquaintances, more recommendations and recognition than anyone else I've worked with. Let that sink in for the future managers of the world. Find these kinds of people if you really want a successful group.
As an analogy FYI. When my vehicle breaks, I don't want the engineer whom designed the part. I want the automotive mechanic that has the technical skillset to keep ALL aspects of the vehicle running. They are much more important to me. If you step up to become a manager, hire all the engineers you want, but you would do yourself a great service, to have a few mechanics on hand, to keep everyone else going.
Excellent post by @WQqdAae-6loc, needed to be on top.