Now that I think of it, the inflight magazines still have those ...
Amusingly enough the best CEO and best salesman I ever knew (two different people) were below average height.
I've heard the latter theory at least a couple times about US Navy SEALs.
The first time, it was a retired SEAL I knew (well over 6', and a brick wall) who one day out of the blue said something like, "You shouldn't feel bad about being short. The best SEAL I knew was a short guy, and he could kick my ass."
Later, I heard a similar anecdote in a speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxBQLFLei70&t=440s
I've heard a number of times that you want to be worried about the guy who looks out of place because he's there through pure grit, skill, and determination.
Historically, military selection emphasized calisthenics and load carrying capacity (body armor/weapons/rucks) + endurance. Although modern assessments have somewhat shifted towards weightlifting components, calisthenics/rucking are still a major focus. There is generally a disadvantage with height, where longer limb length creates more leverage to overcome, which is a disadvantage in both calisthenics and moving external weight around.
Average size is ~5’10” @ 180lbs at selection
(1) https://sofprepcoach.com/special-forces-selection-body-compo...