re: How did most C-Suite Execs get to that position?

I got my position by winning the yearly Sonic Battle Royale. If you haven’t heard of it, toughen your knuckles.

I think a lot of it depends on industry. Technical industies tend to promote technical superor people (unless the company is named Boeing).

Going to a high level B-School tends to help in a lot of major companies.

If you were eventually going to get a C-suite spot, you would already know it.

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Obviously you also have to work your dick off. Most C Suite people I’ve come in contact with would rather be at the office than catching their alma maters Saturday night game.

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This. For everyone that’s just lucky there’s 10 that worked their arse off, were yes men, and were willing to move or take projects that no one else wanted.

Hard work and long hours has made a lot of people “lucky”. Both of those also promote relationships that end up paying off well.

The more people you know the better chance you have of one of them being promoted to eventually promote you.

Every C level person I have been around is the smartest guy in the room type. They may not understand the small details but they can wrap their head around any problem and get things moving in the right direction quickly.

They can walk into a room with IT and business people, hear both sides, and understand both. Then take some high level corrective action if needed.

The good ones are impressive.

Not that high but I did ok.. but stayed technical route … I had chief and global in my title … to be completely honest.. a little luck and more than that … the guy above me got pulled up and he pulled me up also.. and so on and so on.. I found most people breaking into upward fast tracks have a sponsor above who also has a sponsor above.. try to find paths like that and work into them..
tbh.. my work ethic and skills were the same for the first half of my career while I moved at a regular rate as opposed the later when things moved quicker..

It is not what you know… but who you know…. Or how you fits into the pie charts.

My friend just worked her way up from art director. She went to portfolio school so it’s what she always wanted to do. Now a chief creative officer of an agency with offices in New York and one other major city. The main client of hers now is one of the most well known companies in the world.

I'm having to put in my time in lower management waste land. Closest thing to crabs in a bucket I've ever experienced.

I'm getting my 3-5 years in and making the requisite jump.

I can definitely see how people get stuck at this level. This is the level where fiefdoms are built as long as you meet your KPIs.

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sociopathic tendencies

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and

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on the spectrum

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are not even remotely the same thing.

I have a buddy that’s about my age (51). He’s VP and Chief Audit Executive at a major insurance company. He makes great money, but he’s always been working towards that CFO position to make real “vacation house in the Caribbean and vacation house in the mountains” type of money. He’s two promotions away but recently told me he just doesn’t have the stomach to do what it takes to advance any further in his organization. He said to make it above his level, and often even AT his level, you truly have to be a complete sociopath.