There are two paths to the top, but which is better?

There are traditionally two paths to the top in business and they each have their strengths and weaknesses. I put together the following chart (click for larger version) from my experience and observations.

I encourage to you assess where you are currently in your career and which path you’d like to take to achieve your goals. For I warn you, while it’s possible to switch from one path to the other, there are many obstacles to overcome!