It's a great question, and not intuitive at all.
Here is the trick, it's hard to work hard. You need to master the craft, you need to learn more, to compete, to be more and more creative.
In that case, some will become the true masters and those will be paid more, those will be wanted more. Those will be at the top.
However, in a system where all the people are need to be equal, you must create a different "scoring system".
It will not matter if you are the best, but some weird things, such as:
- do you love your president
- do you prefer Real Madrid or Barcelona
- is your haircut straight
- who was your grandfather and what he was doing
I'm serious about those questions.
Those gatherings of basically incompetent were used to enjoy the easiness of Dani Kruger effect, and "earn points". Just be loud and say that in leaders you trust and that you will never choose another path.
Who the hell is a doctor to tell me about vaccines? Who the hell is an architect to tell me how to build? Who the hell is an engineer to teach me how to make stuff?
Sounds familiar, right?