This study seems to answer the question of 'who would the team select as a leader', but in reality project leadership at companies is rarely a democracy. Peopl

This study seems to answer the question of 'who would the team select as a leader', but in reality project leadership at companies is rarely a democracy. People move jobs a lot in the tech industry, so as a result senior roles are often filled externally. It helps to have a recommendation, but roles are rarely filled by asking the team who they would most like to work with an approaching them. Normally companies advertise roles and try to use some kind of standardized process. So CV writing and interview technique are critical. Promotions often happen because people apply for the role up when it is advertised competitively. My observation is that people succeed at this by focusing on performing against their current objectives, not being a problem, requesting training, and picking up the tasks relevant to their current role that will be on the job description for the next one up. That next role up might be in another team so your own teams favor matters less. The main thing is not to have been a problem to management and to present yourself well during the application process. I think external upwards moves are more likely to be powered by skill at believable exaggeration, and internal promotions by rules compliance and consistent ambition driven box ticking. Finally, some people get promoted because management need someone they trust to do that job now, at least temporarily. This happens when a new project team is created and someone is told they are in charge of it, or someone quits and their duties are reallocated to an immediate report. These reward competence yes, but such a people keep their winnings or fall back by their actual short term success - if things look shaky management go out externally for a permanent replacement and quietly put them back where they were. I don't really see any of this changing due to work from home. It is probably different at high levels of management because these roles seem to be filled more based on relationships.