Just why is this man the NHS Chief Executive?

Can somebody explain how a man with such little vision and ability as David Nicholson is the NHS' Chief Executive?

Let me give you two recent examples:

• His review of Innovation.  This has produced the proposal that Trusts should comply with national procurement guidance or explain ("comply or explain").  Am I mad, or is this the antithesis of innovation?  Perhaps the official language of the NHS has been changed to newsspeak. 
  
  Perhaps he would like to explain NPfIT, PFIs and other centralised procurement schemes, before he opines on the merits of centralised bureaucracies.  Talking about taking accountability for decisions, when is he going to take responsibility for the mega-folly that was NPfIT for which he was SRO?  Perhaps he can do that before he begins to lecture others.
  
  Nicholson went onto indicate that in principle Foundation Trusts should be brought to follow the same rule, but “Organisational independence [currently] seems to trump value in a big way.”  Isn't that the point of a FT - that it is not run by a bureaucrat based at Richmond House?  More on that below.
• His separation from reality.  In another recent intervention (at the Mid-Staffs inquiry), he proposed that DoH should retain the possibility of de-authorising FTs.  This is contrary to the general shift of policy for 25 years; and is his job not to implement an elected government's policy?  And what is the benefit of de-authorisation?  That it comes under SHA control?  So let us take London: perhaps he can explain to us why SHA control of BHR, Whipps, West Middx, St George's, South London, St Helier and Newham has produced such great results.  Beyond going against government policy, what is his evidence?

All I can conclude is that this man is a bureaucrat with no driving vision; or that his priorities are on other things if he cannot find a coherent vision for how the NHS should function.