Employees tend to settle into similar roles.
Some employees are trudgers, going along as directed without looking up to see where they're going.
They just do what they're told, working nine to five and then escaping to their real lives. Many otherwise good workers fit into this mold, and although they can accomplish a lot, they're not enjoying themselves as much as they might, and the lack of excitement about their work can result in me-too products from the company. The perfect employee is a team player. If what's needed is to point out to the boss that the group lacks direction, the team player takes the boss aside for a talk. And if what's needed is someone to get some work done, the team player digs in.