I also wonder if we are too caught between US and European attitudes to career progression. I perceive people in the US doing better by being talented, but mos

I also wonder if we are too caught between US and European attitudes to career progression. I perceive people in the US doing better by being talented, but mostly by being able to sell themselves; the more shameless the better. Meanwhile in Europe the perception seems to be "age before beauty", i.e. you get promoted mostly through long tenure, the old fashioned way. In the UK, these two factors come together to create a downward, spiteful pressure on anyone getting too big for their boots - unless they bluster straight past it via nepotism or good old fashioned public school overconfidence.