You may not know this, but I once was a corporate rebel. A mostly associate that term with Lois Kelly, the person I first heard and connected the idea with. I'll get to Lois's work in second.
I was the guy who would get on top of filing cabinets (I'm not kidding) and protest bureaucratic processes and meaningless rules that hurt clients and employees. Needless to say I had a reputation. In many ways it's a miracle I lasted as long as I did in that world. The main point is about heart motivated action to change things for the better.
I didn't work for companies that appreciated rebels. I'm certain I was tolerated because of my knack or ability to make money for the organization. Rebels were a threat culturally. Rebels saw what many preferred to ignore, either for convenience or fear. This is quite ironic since rebels (at those with integrity) really seek the organizations well-being.
Alas, my story leads into an even better one. Lois Kelly has done a lot of good work for quite some time. I think she's brilliant. You can get to know her and her work better here. But take a look at the following story and background for her take on the corporate rebel and why they should be embraced, not shunned. Here's to all the corporate rebels out there.