So true Anon! I spend the first 4 years of my time in DC doing all I could in my job, while keeping an eye on if it was advancing my career. Eventually I decided I didn't care about career, just wanted to make a difference and have fun. The moment I made that decision my career took off.
The moral was that one needs to do their best, but, don't pay attention who gets the credit because someone higher up will sooner or later realize it's you doing the good stuff - and they love having subordinates make them look good. The good execs reward you for it.