The best don't always rise to the top but merit is not a lost cause

Position need not reflect competence but there are ways for us to minimize the damage this causes

- ANURAG BEHAR is CEO of Azim Premji Foundation.

In any field—be it business, politics, administration, academia, or civil society—there is an unspoken assumption that those at the highest echelons are there because they are suitable for those roles and are highly competent. This belief is so deeply ingrained that we rarely question it. Yet, a closer look reveals a different reality: the upper tiers of any field are not exclusively populated by the best and most suitable. Instead, they reflect a normal distribution—some are extraordinarily capable, many are middling, and many are incompetent or even dangerous.

This phenomenon is not merely about individual failings; it is systemic. The traits that help someone rise to the top are not necessarily the same as those needed to govern, lead, or manage effectively once they get there. Worse, the very structures that elevate people often reward qualities that have little to do with what these roles require. The consequences of this mismatch are everywhere—in failing institutions, misguided policies, and dysfunctional organizations. At times, this can put societies and the entire world at risk.