How to reconcile non-attachment in a Type-A, North American culture where work is life?

I've been meditating on-and-off for years. However, the non-attachment preached by the Buddha conflicts with the environment around me. I'm in a large urban center in North America. Achievement is valued; I feel like I'm contributing to the world in a small way. I feel like it makes me better at my job to dream big and get attached to goals big and small, whether it's mentoring someone junior or committing years to a project that has an uncertain payoff. This puts me at odds with my meditation practice, where "letting go" is emphasized. The best resource I have found specifically addressing this question is Stephen Batchelor's book "After Buddhism". In it, Batchelor lays out one possible interpretation of the scriptures, in which the Buddha and his disciples are very much 'in the world'---businesspeople, merchants, town doctors, etc.---this was refreshing to read and made me feel more at ease. Am I asking to eat my cake too? I value Buddhism and meditation, but I also value my Western individualist roots and feel egoistic achievement is necessary for progress in science and technology. Thank you!