Ability to communicate trumps actual competency every time in a typical career.

People who are senior to you got there because they have a superior ability to communicate, not because they have any competence. This will range from people who are so communicatively capable they can silvertongue their responses to utterly conceal incompetence/laziness to their own management to people who have slight competence but better communication and so get promoted over the most knowledgeable/experienced/capable in their domain.

Twenty years ago I thought these type of people were an aberration. I’ve come to realise that in fact, they are the majority in any business/corporate hierarchy.