[P_I_Staker]

I would. Lots of "the smartest brains" are mediocre hucksters who have bullied and networked their way into a position of authority. This doesn't mean they aren't "the smartest brains".

IME some of the more effective engineers I've worked with have gravitated towards politics, not "raw technical skill". It's not because they prefer it. They use their "smartness" to win.

The problem is that being good at social engineering >> anything else. Intelligent people often look at the system and say: "What's the point in naively following this when no one successful unless they game the system?"

What's the point of putting one of your great, well considered idea into the fold. It's far more effective the be a mediocre huckster. You don't have to deal with the uncertainty, giving your idea to someone else, etc. Better to work the social game and phone in the rest.

It works better and you don't have to deal with the crushing disappointment that goes with fighting for an idea in a horrifying bureaucracy.