Health

Ok, I get that there's a big difference between anecdotes and personal experience as compared to academically rigorous studies, but it seems that almost anyone who has worked in the corporate world for more than a year has a story to tell about some idiot who got promoted ahead of more deserving people because they "played the game" better.

Narcissists are a dime a dozen in the workplace and yes, they are much more likely to get promoted.

Usually, management can't distinguish between "leadership ability" and "loving the sound of one's own voice".

Talking too much, boasting too much, and finding subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways of running down other people's work are gold for promotions.

Management is usually very bad at weeding out these rotten team players. They promote them instead and tell others to be more like them.