Playing Dumb is the trick to success.
In a corporate setting, being a competent idiot is the ultimate smoke screen; if you are likeable, you can essentially do as you want without question. They won't even check your work.
When I first began my role, I was the role model employee; I came into the office early and left late. I was the hardest working person on the team & helping everyone else, burning myself out.
Immediately, I could see that colleagues were essentially idiots. A minority of our team is competent & working overdrive to carry people that do the bare minimum.
I stopped carrying people's workloads...started making small "errors" when I found their work on my desk. Letting them trip themselves up...i did it with a smile. Kind words. I'm kind... but dumb obviously.
The cameras aren't even dated properly...so I even started coming and going as I liked... no one noticed. I started napping on company time... no one noticed.
All i had to do was the bare miminum. Be positive, a positivity of almost manic compliance. Any problems, I just fake it and smile. Now, the manager has stated i'm the highest performer on the team during my own last team meeting.
Because there's so much negativity people burn themselves out; if you are not drawn into it by having unwavering positivity, you will accend. Fake it. Be a idiot.