Unfortunately, I don't agree.
When you get to the senior O-4 and O-5 levels, there are so many ways to become marginalized as an officer. All anyone in your leadership has to do is ensure you don't get the job you need, or don't get the OPR push you need, or don't get the PRF strat that you need....and suddenly what you think or what you stand for is just completely irrelevant, because you are not in a position to foster such change.
Rock the boat too much, and you're bound to piss off somebody...and all that has to happen is for a single SQ/CC, OG/CC, WG/CV, or WG/CC to not like your act, and you are done with having the ability to change jack squat.
I don't know what the right answer is.
I remember having Gen Jumper speak to my SOS class several years ago, and he started off by saying, "this is my little black book, and over the last 30 years I wrote down shit that I wanted to change once I became Chief of Staff....and that's what I'm doing right now."
So, I somewhat think the only feasible answer, if you as an individual really want to foster change, is to "play the game" until you make O-5 and are on some kind of Command track. Even then, that's no guarantee that you'll be able to change a damn thing outside your own sphere of influence. You are also no more than one "stand your ground" disagreement with the OG/CC away from getting fired and sent into the world of the passed-over-Majors.