You're clearly generalizing based on very limited experience with a game. (I have an equal amount of exp with this game, as well as well over 15 years of exp in professional settings, both as a worker, and a manager.

Frankly, you don't come off like a very trust-worthy person yourself, as you seem to always assume that anyone who would make their intentions known is obviously pandering for power, and to me that means all you're interested in is securing your own, and making sure no one else is a direct challenge to you.

If this sort of thinking actually worked, there would be no drama, no turnover in jobs or guilds, There would be no bad employees, and no bad employers.

Lets be realistic here, I know there are people that fit the bill, no matter whats on said bill. There are people that will choose to exploit situations, no matter what the situation, but applying that stigma to everyone - regardless is where most managers/GL get into trouble.

If I were an officer in YOUR guild, I'd probably /gquit because it's clear that you're deeply suspicious of anyone that makes their intentions known.

What you want aren't free thinking officers, you want sheep that will blindly bleat along with whatever command you give them, and not challenge your own authority, and thats all any power structure is designed to do, maintain power for those at the top.

Of course you're not going to be more willing to promote someone who might actually have the drive to do more than you, and that's where this stigma that you can only promote people that don't want the positions or openly desire said positions comes from.

You use these people because they are weak of mind and will, and NO ONE does something for nothing, not even you (as exampled by your suspicion, and need to control things based on a few situations which you then exploit yourself to maintain your own power base.

I know how that 'game' is played, you're not fooling anyone.