What would you prescribe as a useful method to rise to The C Level and how long should I expect to reach that?

For those of you who are uninformed, The C Level refers to the people who are titled with senior/chief status.

What would you prescribe as a useful method to rise to The C Level and how long should I expect to reach that?
Both hard work and buttering up to your boss / people above you plus some luck. Usually you need a degree plus business training or MBA, etc. unless you are previously rich and can buy or buy into a company. Figure on 20 years from start of college to CEO/CFO etc minimum.