I don’t understand why this aphorism appeals to people.

I’ve most definitely left bad companies where I’ve had good managers and I know my experience is not unique.

When it gets to the point where people are pointing at executives as the “managers” that they’re leaving, do people just not realize that companies are run by high-level managers?

It’s a vacuous statement that holds some strange appeal for some people, but it’s not particularly insightful nor accurate.