Here is a quote from a chapter in The Big Moo called “What, Exactly, Are You Afraid Of:”

Here’s the big news: If your strategy is to lie low, do your job, follow instructions, and hope that nobody notices you, (a) nobody will ever notice you, and (b) you’re actually increasing the chances of something bad happening.

If, on the other hand, you develop a reputation as the person who is always pushing the envelope, challenging the organization to go to the next level, and using your influence to get good stuff done, you’ve got the world’s best job security. If you never pretend to know all the answers, nobody will hate you when you say. “I don’t know.” And if you surround yourself with a team that depends on you to lead them to the next big thing, you all benefit.

You can’t shrink your way to greatness.