My mentor reminds me often that my job is to create value for my organization and the people around me. The value I choose to create will vary across responsibilities and situations, but ultimately, my job is to improve the world. The same is true for you.

The challenge many professionals face isn't just creating value—it's ensuring that value is recognized and properly compensated. This brings us to an important economic concept that can help frame how you think about your value and contributions to your organization.