LinkedIn, the popular social-networking site, went public May 19 with shares for its initial public offering priced at $45 each. That put the company’s value at around $4.3 billion. Before noon on the day of the IPO, the stock price had climbed as high as $92.99 a share.

So what’s a share of LinkedIn really worth?

Whatever someone’s willing to pay for it.

LinkedIn spent about eight years building its value as a company, then tested that value when it went public. Like all companies, how well it holds its value over time remains to be seen. But as individuals trying to define and achieve success, the best place to start is like a company working toward a successful IPO — by building our value.

If your core values are rock solid, if you produce outcomes that other people value, and if you value other people, then you’ll find yourself positioned to prosper regardless of the circumstances around you.

For instance, if you are always involved in important projects within your organization, you’re providing value that can’t be ignored. When times are good, you’ll see the rewards (probably in higher pay and/or fast-track promotions). When times are bad and your organization or your customers are cutting back, you’ll find yourself on the “can’t cut” list. The opposite? You’ll be like those “nonessential government workers” you read about when Congress can’t settle on a budget — the first to get laid off.

Have you checked with your employer lately to see what he or she values in your work? Have you asked that person how you might increase your value to the organization? You ask the same questions of clients and customers.

None of us are irreplaceable, but all of us can produce value that sets us up for success.

This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book or for ordering information.

A friend recently told me the next time he hired someone he would explain that the secret to their longevity in his employ was to ”act like it is 1950.”  ”Anything that could have gotten you fired in 1950 will be due cause for me to fire you today.” In 1950 there was no email or text messaging to distract from work during business hours, standards of conduct were higher and scrutiny of performance was tougher.

He was only half joking. Like many employers, he was nostalgic for an earlier work ethic. 1950 wasn’t perfect by any means–every epoch has mixed benefits and negatives–but I think most of us can relate to his thinking. My friend has high standards and low tolerance like the 1950′s exemplified, so he wanted his employees to behave similarly.

If every employee on your team had the same standards of conduct and professionalism as you, would it be a dream come true or a nightmare? Of course the strength of a team is the diversity of team members, but in this case I’m talking about standards of conduct, not differences in skills and abilities.

As an employer or employee, we can better serve and be better served ourselves if we start with an honest evaluation of our own workplace habits and performance. We can’t control others (that’s why it is called “leadership” and not “controllership”) but we can control ourselves. Why not strive to be a dream employee or employer rather than somebody’s nightmare?