I'll be honest I did start finding it a bit annoying. Especially after he was doing so well in the volumes leading up to 12. To see him start fumbling again was painful to read. While not entirely his fault, what with Demiurge's half written script, it did make me wonder why he hasn't made much progress. Though now a days I find myself in a more understanding, and honestly impressed, position.

Ainz has been in the New World or about 2 years now and has devoted much of his free time to studying how to be a ruler. But, how long does it take to be a good successful boss? It would take several years.

Most business owners, prior to owning their business, get some combination of lots of work experience in that field or specialized advanced education(college or university). Both are needed to succeed, both Ainz doesn't have. Ainz is a Highschool(I think...I'm not to familiar with the Japanese school system) dropout whose only experienced field is a video game and sales. Ainz may be studying and practicing, but only in his free time and always by himself. He has no teacher to question and no workplace mentor to study. All he has is the few books he could sneak away from Ashurbanipal. These problems can be over come with time, if Ainz's problems were that simple.

Ainz position however is elevated beyond company boss though. He now stands as an all powerful king, no, a king above kings. Princes and noblemen were groomed and mentored their entire lives for the day they take the throne, and even then they could be royal screw-ups. Even modern day politicians spend a decade studying and working in the field before they even attempt to take office. There is no way Ainz could make decision and plan on the level expected of him. It's a good thing he doesn't need to.

While I said that Ainz was studying how be a ruler, his practice has been working towards a more important goal; how to look like a ruler. It isn't important for Ainz to be a good ruler, Demiurge and Albedo are more than capable of seeing to the affairs of state themselves. All Ainz has to do is maintain the image of a perfect ruler and decide what path he wants to take. He has also done a fantastic job keeping up these appearances.

While Ainz may be a long ways of being even a competent ruler, let alone a perfect one, I can safely say 'He's good enough for now.'

Actually, when you put it that way, yea, I may have been a little too harsh (just a little). It's difficult sometimes for me to empathize as I myself run my own company, with little to no proper experience and education prior. And yes, I fumbled and blundered my way, but I did find myself learning a lot over the years. It was from that perspective that I was thinking about with regards to Ainz, not for his lack of expertise, but for the time that he's had his hands on experiences but still saddled with his near fatal (pun unintended) self-doubts and anxiety ridden indecisiveness. But I guess we must put his lack of education and exposure into perspective as well. Yet...I feel like it's about time he's learned that he is good enough, which I think is the main issue concerning Ainz, he simply keeps putting himself down, forever thinking he's not good enough (to lead, to guide, to make decisions etc.). At so many points in the later volumes I wish I could just slap some confidence into literally, the most powerful person in the world, the irony.

The dude has low self esteem. Give the dude a rest