Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

1. The boss felt that he couldn’t consider Richard for the difficult job of manager because Richard seemed out of touch with the workers. He was isolated in his ivory tower.
2. When the professors complained that the students couldn’t meet the academic standards of the past, they were told that they should come out of their ivory tower. More students attend the university now and it can’t be as selective as it used to be.

The expression suggests an ivory (white) tower high above the masses. An ivory tower is often associated with an academic or university environment, which is said to be isolated from the real world, e. g. , business and politics.