If you have a way to become a CEO or any position that's highly competitive without playing the game I'm sure everyone would like to hear it.

Create your own company. This site is littered with examples of people doing exactly this.

The other way is to discard the idea that being a "CEO" is a desirable goal at all.

I did, with some cofounders, went through an accelerator, rounded up investors. Sitting in our office right now. So yes, I am familiar with this path.

Now the answer is to create your own company? I thought the answer was not to play the game? If you think you don't have to play the game to start a company then you haven't done it before.