This. Working in big Corp and Government I have seen how far this disillusionment can take an organization down the wrong road. Learning how to articulate complex technical / scientific topics to bureaucracy, I am learning, is a very valuable and needed skill amongst engineers.
It's a fine line you have to walk. They usually are looking for a person who will tell them what they want to hear, so it's usually a matter of starting with "the art of the possible" (aka a bunch of bullshit they heard on NPR) and working them over to something more realistic.
I've found it helps if you can frame it in the context of the other options (i.e. agree with where they want to go and present multiple ways to get there) they're more receptive. Leaders know about these hype cycles too, but they often have to play along for political reasons and they'll be thankful if you work with them rather than against them.
