I think what you can do is influence the culture of a company and reap the rewards, having done the devops transformation in two difference companies that were deemed unfixable (both more than 4 offices and 3k people) I feel it is very doable! It just takes time and it is not an algorithm you can learn and apply blindly.
- Model the behaviors you want to see.
- Thanks and recognize others when they do the behaviors you want to see.
- Use your Comment and Reject buttons when formal processes ask you to sign off on behaviors you don't want to see.
- Propose initiatives to influential people you trust and identify as likely allies.
Of course if you're wrong about having the political capital, and especially if your own manager is not on board, swimming upstream can be dangerous.
I read comments on another blog whereby one commenter thinks he is a guy who can use his girlfriend's name as if everyone should know that is who he is talking about like he is on a first name basis with the crowd.
At 200k per year, you can buy Obamacare which is 6k per year and for an individual 6k max out of pocket.
So many people are fooled into thinking their companies health insurance is worth something beyond 12k/yr. And that 12k is firefighters union tier.
The fact that you are paid does nothing about the ennui. You clearly never held a no-show job before.