Life as a Cognitive Challenge:

https://meinnaturwissenschaftsblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-path-and-performance-of-company.html

Jonathan Wai & Heiner Rindermann:

"Life can be considered a cognitive challenge. The occupation one ends up in is a reflection in part of an individual's general cognitive ability which can have a cumulative effect on careers, primarily due to the continuous life event test items one has successfully overcome along the path to eventual achievement (Gottfredson, 2003)."

"One occupation at the pinnacle of business achievement is becoming a chief executive officer (CEO) of a company. The mental test battery that is the path to becoming a CEO, as well as performance on the job, is likely extremely complex, and filled with both professional (e.g. performance, navigating office politics) and personal challenges (e.g. balancing work and family). In the development of such occupational expertise (Wai, 2014a), there are likely many personal traits and other factors at work (Lubinski, 2004), including cognitive ability (Kuncel et al., 2004, Nyborg and Jensen, 2001, Schmidt and Hunter, 1998, Schmidt and Hunter, 2004), deliberate practice (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Romer, 1993), and even luck."

Source: Intelligence