Getting to L6 is Skill, Getting to L9 is Luck
Although I would love for this to not be the case, most human organizations become less democratic as they become larger. You can easily see this dynamic in governments, large companies, and political parties. It’s comparatively easy to debate complex topics and make good decisions when there are only a couple of well-informed decision makers. But it becomes nearly impossible when you get to even a small team size. To prove the point, try to find a lunch restaurant to satisfy 10 of your coworkers. Seriously, try to do it this afternoon and record how long it takes and how satisfied people are with the outcome.
By the time an organization comprises 1,000 people, the only way that we humans have found to retain group cohesion and decision making is to give some people more authority. But for this to be an effective strategy, there have to be a small number of people in authority.
The simple fact that large human organizations require a small number of leaders has a profound impact on the connection between skill and reward in your career.
