How do some people get to be Chief Programmer?

I worked at a fairly large aerospace firm. I was new to CNC at the time. The head programmer from there went on to start his own firm. A couple of decades later, I ended up working for him. That's when I found out that he was a lousy programmer. He'd make a program, then leave for the day becau se he didn't want to be bothered about his lousy program. He let us figure everything out and make appropriate changes. Not that I minded, but it's j ust odd how some people get promoted to certain positions when they're not competent.

-0700 (PDT) typed in alt.machines.cnc the following:
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    Is called the "Peter Principle" - that people will get promoted until they are promoted past their level of competency. After that, they don't get promoted again.     The sad fact is that they are very often just as miserable in the position they can't do, as those under them are having them as their incompetent leader. But - no body wants to be the demoted, or demoter. Or admit they failed when they promoted Jones to head programmer, or whatever. -- pyotr filipivich "With Age comes Wisdom. Although more often, Age travels alone."