Anything we can share here is very anecdotal on this topic. Some managers will tell you individual skills don't matter, plenty even say overall quality doesn't matter.

Personally, I think the individual skills matter a great deal. I also have a very competitive record. But I can't prove they are related any better than other managers can prove we are all powerless to the trolls and the system.

My advice: come up with your own "mythology" that explains the game in ways that satisfy and intrigue you. My concept of how the mechanics might function develop ever time I play, and that mystery is one of the best aspects of T11.