[int0x2e]

You're absolutely correct.

I really wish you weren't though - it makes me somewhat sad to see how often the more motivated and passionate a person is about what they do and even the success of their company, the more likely they are to eventually cross some political or etiquette boundary and end up paying for it.

[carpet_wheel]

The rub for me is how you are expected to show all the signs of motivation/passion throughout your career to anyone above you in the hierarchy who asks, but are then (as you describe) inevitably punished for it if you accidentally take any of that motivation/passion to heart.

Motivation and passion are for the little people. They would do well to remember not to let their passions trick them into speaking out of turn.