Perhaps you mean to say don't be a bull in a china shop? That could be a problem. I've worked in large companies and taking initiative is the way to get recognition and build rapport. Company size is irrelevant to people recognizing that you take initiative. Taking on new things doesn't have to involve disrupting others, stepping on people's toes or otherwise doing things that are harmful to other teams. In fact, the larger the company, the more there is to do. People get deep in the complexity and there isn't anyone to repair duct taped stuff that that makes the giant machine run.
When I had not much to do, I'd sharpen up my own skills by building tools for others. I quickly become the guy to go to for tools. Instant credibilty in a Fortune 50 company. Making others' life easier is a quick way to win them over and be your advocate for life. If you do this enough, it compounds and pays dividends in your career.
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Perhaps you mean to say don't be a bull in a china shop? That could be a problem. I've worked in large companies and taking initiative is the way to get recognition and build rapport. Company size is irrelevant to people recognizing that you take initiative. Taking on new things doesn't have to involve disrupting others, stepping on people's toes or otherwise doing things that are harmful to other teams. In fact, the larger the company, the more there is to do. People get deep in the complexity and there isn't anyone to repair duct taped stuff that that makes the giant machine run.
When I had not much to do, I'd sharpen up my own skills by building tools for others. I quickly become the guy to go to for tools. Instant credibilty in a Fortune 50 company. Making others' life easier is a quick way to win them over and be your advocate for life. If you do this enough, it compounds and pays dividends in your career.