These incredible designers and thinkers said it well:

“The discipline of asking bigger questions can lead to profound changes for brands.” -Marty Neumeier

“You design for durability, for function, for usefulness, for rightness, for beauty…” -Paul Rand

“Navigating through the political process — building trust — building relationships — it’s everything.” -Paula Scher

“Marketing without design is lifeless, and design without marketing is mute.” -Von Glitschka

You will never be able to create or provide something that’s better than the organization you’re working for. It doesn’t matter how brilliant your branding or how excellent the strategy is, the end results will only be as good as the company itself. Paul Rand probably said it better: “[A logo] derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate.” If you can live within those confines, your best bet is to dive in and help make change alongside your client partners. If you believe it’s too hard to live under that ceiling, you’ll need to find better clients.