I don’t think this limited to careers in academia. I see similar kinds of survivorship bias in leadership seminars and talks in industry where they trot out the folks at the top of the pyramid to discuss their career trajectory and dispense wisdom to the rank and file.
Of course, you can still get paid well as a rank and file employee in industry, so the harm is not the same.
Of course, you can still get paid well as a rank and file employee in industry, so the harm is not the same.