Stuck between mediocrity and excellence

Which is more important when it comes to climbing the career ladder?  Loyalty or capability?  The idealist in us would say that it's up to our company's management and leaders to recognize potential and capability and promote accordingly.  The Peter Principle states otherwise.  Look around you. More than likely, your peers are like you.  Look above you. More than likely, your leaders are not like you.  Therefore it's your job to try and be more like your managers and leaders and less like you if the gap is as wide as you perceive it to be.  The dilemma arises when becoming more like "them" distances you from your true self.   So do you continue the cycle when you get promoted and pick loyalty over capability?  Or do you break the cycle because it's the right thing to do?  Choose the latter. You and your company will be better off for it. 

The days of working 30+ years in the same organization are over -- and it's not because the Millenials are taking over.  Large organizations reorganize more than ever in an effort to make the numbers look good. As a result, your political alignment today now becomes a political alignment of yesterday.  Many people would love to believe that promotions happen through demonstration of merit and added value.  False.  Climbing the corporate ladder is paved with height, hair, an ability to BS, and lack of real business acumen or content-- in general.  Find the company that puts the people before the numbers, as Simon Sinek says, and you'll find loyalty and stability.  Unfortunately those companies are few and far between.