Before reading TFA: Some folk wisdom says "only arseholes get promoted"; others say "only boot-lickers get promoted". Both are right and wrong: It's not "only"

Before reading TFA: Some folk wisdom says "only arseholes get promoted"; others say "only boot-lickers get promoted". Both are right and wrong: It's not "only" in either case, it's "only people who are arseholes or boot-lickers get promoted (and if someone is both, they've hit the jackpot)". CNBC usually has a rather corporate perspective, so I'd guess their "experts" are precisely the kind to mistake boot-licking for "being nice". OK, now off to check TFA to see if I'm right...