When I go to the store, there is a listed price for an apple. I pay that price, and nothing more. I get an apple, and nothing more. That's not lose-lose.
> Turn up on time. Do your job. Do it right. Do whatever is asked of you provided it's lawful, reasonable.
This is a totally reasonable transaction. You're not slacking off. You're not failing to do your reasonable duties. You're not showing up 2 hours late, or playing hooky.
> Do not one thing more than that.
If someone is asking you to do something unreasonable, you should have the freedom to refuse that. It should not be considered a defection or a betrayal. It might not always solve things, but it should be a normal and satisfactory outcome.
Again, this is the outcome every time I go to the grocery store
How you gain leverage is situational. At some companies, going above and beyond actually _reduces_ leverage, because you may find that after five years working at said company, the value you add is mostly tied to your knowledge of company internals (processes, systems, people, etc), and you may have actually fallen behind in the actual "transferable" skills that the market values.