"Every time you minimize your impact, you train others to do the same."

Today’s Ladder:

This Is Why You’re Underpaid

I used to shrink my accomplishments.

“Nothing major.”

“Just doing my job.”

“I was just lucky.” 

And then I wondered why I wasn’t moving up.

Every time I downplayed my results, I thought I was being humble.

I didn’t want to seem arrogant. I didn’t want to “brag.”

But here’s the problem:

If I didn’t believe in my own value, why would anyone else?

The turning point?

A mentor told me this:

"If you downplay your value, don’t be surprised when others do too."

That one sentence changed how I showed up.

Since then, I studied the frameworks the top 1% of professionals use to lead with value.

This is how I started getting invited to important meetings.

Sell the Value, Not Yourself

Here’s the framework I use now whenever I ask for more:

✅ Start with results. I highlight the wins I’ve delivered. Numbers. Outcomes. Impact.

✅ Connect to the bigger picture. I show how my work supports the team or company vision.

✅ Make the ask clear and confident. Not “if it’s okay…” I say: “Based on my contributions and the value I’ve delivered, I’d like to talk about a raise/promotion.”

Sell the impact, not your identity.
Sell the results, not your résumé.
Sell the change you create, not the hours you spend.
Sell what gets better because you’re in the room.

You are not the product. Your result is.

Takeaway:

Underselling? That Ends Today.

You’re the quiet anchor in your office.

The one who stays late, fixes what others miss, and picks up the ball other people dropped.

Everyone depends on you. But no one really sees you.

Your quietly hoping someone will notice. That the results will speak louder than your silence.

I know that hope. I lived it. 

For years, I stayed in the background. Overdelivering, under-claiming. Until the day I watched someone else get promoted for work I had quietly carried.

That moment burned.

Not just because I was overlooked… but because I realized I had taught them to overlook me.

Silence, I learned, doesn’t signal strength. It signals invisibility.

So I made a shift.

I started sharing the why behind my wins. I claimed my seat at the table—not with arrogance, but with clarity.

And things changed. Recognition followed. So did growth.

If you’re tired of being the best-kept secret in your workplace, you don’t have to stay stuck. There’s a way to speak your value—clearly, confidently, and without compromise.

You just need the right tools.

In this fast-track course, I’ll show you how…

ICYMI: Links to recent issues

🙋🏻‍♂️ The Best Framework I’ve Seen… For Leading Without a Title

🤔 How to Know When It’s Time to Quit Your Job

💵 How to Ask for a Raise (And Actually Get It)

To your success,

Dr. Lex ✍️

Founder, Career Ladder | Career MBA