Although there are differences between the military and the civil service, they both have a public sector culture.
The freedom to act is given by those above, by the rules or by precedent. To act outside these limiting authorities is not encouraged.
If you use your initiative and it doesn't come off, everyone for miles will sh*t on you from a great height; if it does come off, everyone will tell you how easy it was and they would have done the same ('rushing to the aid of the victors' syndrome).
Enjoy your flying but don't for a moment believe that success in the air will open the door to promotion and power; they aren't in any way connected.
Wonder why they teach leadership in the RAF. No one gets a chance to use it...