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Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
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  • ISBN13: 9781591843160
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Description
"The only way to get what you're worth is to stand out, to exert emotional labor, to be seen as indispensable, and to produce interactions this organizations and people care deeply concerning."

In bestsellers such as Purple Cow and Tribes, Seth Godin taught readers how to do remarkable products and spread great ideas. But this book is different. It's concerning you - your choices, your future, and your potential to do a huge difference in whatever field you select.

There used to be two teams in each workplace: management and labor. Now there's a third team, the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, do things happen, and make order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there's no rule book. They delight and challenge their clients and peers. They love their work, pour their excellent selves into it, and turn every day into a kind of art.

Linchpins are the necessary building blocks of excellent organizations. Like the small piece of hardware this keeps a wheel from falling off its axle, they may not be famous but they're indispensable. And in today's world, they get the excellent jobs and the much liberty.

Have you ever found a shortcut this others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection together with someone others couldn't reach? Even one time? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable, by overcoming the resistance this holds people back. Linchpin will show you how to join the likes of...

*Keith Johnson, who scours flea markets across the country to fill up Anthropologie stores together with distinctive pieces.
*Marissa Mayer, who keeps Google focused on the things this really matter.
*Jason Zimdars, a graphic designer who got his dream job at 37signals not including a résumé.
*David, who works at Dean and Deluca coffeeshop in New York. He sees each client interworking as a chance to provide a gift and is cherished in return.

As Godin writes, "Each day I meet people who have so much to provide but have been bullied enough or frightened enough to hold it back. It's time to stop complying together with the system and illustrate your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is necessary, and the art you make is precious. Only you can do it, and you must."
Amazon Special: Hugh MacLeod Reviews Linchpin

Hugh MacLeod is an artist, cartoonist, and Web 2.0 pundit whose blog, gapingvoid.com, has two million distinctive monthly visitors. His first book, Ignore Everybody, was an Amazon Top Ten Business Book of the Year and a Wall Street Journal bestseller. Read his special Amazon guest review of Linchpin:

This is by far Seth’s much passionate book. He’s pulling fewer punches. He’s out for blood. He’s out to do a difference. And this glorious, heartfelt passion is obvious on each page, even if it is in Seth’s usual quiet, lucid, understated manner.

A linchpin, as Seth describes it, is somebody in an organization who is indispensable, who cannot be replaced—her role is just far too distinctive and valuable. And then he goes on to say, well, seriously folks, you want to be one of these people, you really do. To not be one is economic and career suicide.

No surprises there—this’s exactly what one would expect Seth to say. But here’s where it gets interesting.

In his excellent-known book, Purple Cow, Seth’s message was, “Everyone’s a marketer now.” In All Marketers Are Liars, his message was, “Everyone’s a storyteller now.” In Tribes, his message was, “Everyone’s a leader now.”

And from Linchpin?

"Everyone’s an artist now."

By Seth’s definition, an artist is not just some person who messes all-around together with paint and brushes, an artist is somebody who does (and I LOVE this term) “emotional work.”

Work this you put your heart and soul into. Work this matters. Work this you gladly sacrifice all other alternatives for. As a working artist and cartoonist myself, I recognize exactly what he means. It’s not what you do, it’s the way this you do it.

The only people who have a hope of becoming linchpins in any organization, who have any hope of varying anything for the better in real terms, are those who have the capacity to do “emotional work” at a high altitude—to be true artists at whatever they set their minds on doing. The guys who just plod all-around the office corridors, just turning up for their paycheck.... Well, those guys don’t have a prayer, poor things. The world is just too interesting and competitive now.

And Seth then challenges us, the readers, to become linchpins ourselves. To do the jump. To become artists. To do emotional work, whatever the sacrifice may be. It’s our choice, and it’s our burden. Seth won’t be there to catch us if we fall, but to become the people we want to be eventually, well, we probably wouldn’t would like him to, anyway.

Congratulations, Seth. You have penned a real gem of a book here. Rock on.

--Hugh MacLeod

Customer Reviews
Customer rating is 5 of 5  Effective Psychology At Its Best   2010-03-11
By Joe (Houston)
Seth is a great wordateer. His ability to provoke even the simplest worker into action astounds us all. By getting 1000 readers of his book to take a small action such as walking 30 feet far surpasses the achievement and contribution to society of one person climbing Mt. Everest (29,035 ft).

I have already internalized and practiced his words long before they were published. So, reading his book has confirmed my need to find effective ways to become indispensible, i.e., a Linchpin. Once you learn how to break through the barriers after reading this book, you can do it again and again.

Back in 2007, I and a colleague calmed our lizard brains, took action, and reached out to NASA to try to convince them with hard evidence that they needed more storage space on our glorious space station. At first they scoffed us, but after more than two years, the seeds we planted finally sprouted and they spent $30M to modify a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module on the last shuttle mission so it can be permanently attached to the space station as a stowage facility. Our small initial actions turned into a huge payoff for our customer. Today, NASA is taking storage space much more seriously than in the past. They are now concerned with collecting ideas to address the growing problem of trash removal from the space station. Rest assured and right or wrong, I will be fully fueled with ideas and an approach to an affordable and practical resolution to this growing problem, with no real fear of reprisals, especially now that this book is published and I can live these words.
Customer rating is 5 of 5  Passionate, provocative .. insightful!   2010-03-10
By Kevin Quinley (Fairfax, VA)
A passionate and provocative manifesto for today's knowledge worker! Should be "must reading" for anyone in today's work force who wants to remain employed.
Customer rating is 5 of 5  Linchpin Award tells you what I think of this book   2010-03-06
By Michael P. Chaffin
I could tell you how this is Seth's best work yet. Or how it's a true gift to you, your family and your colleagues. It's all of that. I was so moved by the concepts that I created a Linchpin Award for the Capital Hotel, which replaces the traditional and unremarkable employee of the month award. See the first presentation... [...]
Customer rating is 5 of 5  Full of Life and Wisdom.   2010-03-06
By Cornelis Van Der Bent (Here)
Linchpin is not about businesses and jobs; it's about life, and is full of wisdom. Seth Godin paints a true picture of who we humans are. Then, he leads ways to finding ourselves, each other, and our place in this world. This book touches hearts, and changes lives. Read/Listen it!
Customer rating is 4 of 5  Inspiration That Sticks   2010-03-05
By Drea Knufken (Boulder, CO)
Seth Godin is a linchpin. He creates useful and enlightening written content. He covers business, marketing, personal growth, and career success with a single brush stroke. He's a marketing guru, a public persona, a sage.

He also defies simple explanation.

That very characteristic-using a combination of attributes to become indispensable at what you do-is a key feature of linchpins. A linchpin is a person with a unique skill set and way of doing things. Their combination of skills, talents, and abilities, which Godin defines in his book, make them indispensable.

If a linchpin works in a company, they are the person a company can't live without. Well-known corporate linchpins include Steve Jobs or Google's Marissa Mayer.

Linchpins that don't work for companies are indispensable, too. They provide something so economically valuable that they're changing their industry. Jay Parkinson is an example. Many affect large numbers of people in a positive way. Like your favorite barista at the coffee shop-the one you look forward to seeing every time you visit. Whether corporate or not, because of their unique abilities, no linchpins want for contacts or jobs.

In his new book, "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?," Seth Godin makes the case that the world needs more linchpins. He gives you background on why linchpins are so valuable right now. He makes it clear how linchpins operate, who they are, and why you need to be one.

Companies Need Linchpins

Mediocrity, just showing up to work and doing what you're told, used to guarantee you a paycheck. It won't anymore, writes Godin. Today, our economy rewards the people without whom the company can't function. You guessed it-linchpins.

Some businesses have a model of hiring "cheap drones (they) can scale, replace, and disrespect." But that, claims Godin, won't lead to customer loyalty or growth. It's not a good strategy; it's survival and maintenance. In order to flourish, a company needs linchpins. What's good for the individual (being indispensable) is good for the company, too.

Content

In his book, Godin doesn't tell you how to be a linchpin. Instead, he gives you an aggregate picture of who linchpins are, what they do, and why they're so coveted.

Godin starts the book by setting the stage for today's work world. Many previously white-collar projects can now be done for free, either by crowds or by machines. Obedience and just showing up to work are passé. Unfortunately, school and the media have indoctrinated people to be factory workers. As a result, we automatically buy into a career system constructed on fear: Obey the boss or be fired.

Godin emphasizes that we need to cast that aside. He details what you need to do in order to change your factory-worker mentality. Instead of just sitting down and blankly following orders, you have to bring your soul to work. You have to stay human and be brave. You need to create, connect, and invent in your work. And, of course, you have to work hard.

If being remarkable feels threatening, Godin explains why in following chapters. The amygdala, or lizard brain, will try to sabotage your best efforts, he says. If the lizard brain perceives something as being too risky, it tries to stop. It does this by making you hesitate, compelling you to overdo things, and undermining your confidence. After showing you how the lizard brain tries to stop you, Godin tells you how to thwart it.

Subsequent chapters define the qualities and abilities of a linchpin. Linchpins are artists, per a definition that Godin puts forth in the next chapter. They bring emotional labor to their work. They are generous, giving without expectation of reciprocity. This is an essential quality in an economy that has integrated a culture of gifts, according to the author.

Linchpins also don't wait for instructions. They figure out how to create value, then go do it. If you want to be a linchpin, make your own map. If this scares you, make the choice to be bigger than your lizard brain.

Now you've decided to be a generous, self-motivated, fear-accepting artist. There's more. In order to be a linchpin, you must be socially intelligent. You connect with other people through genuine human interactions. This connection helps make you indispensable.

The linchpin picture is almost complete. Towards the end of the book, Godin adds a few more details to round it off. Besides bringing emotional labor to work and making their own maps, linchpins interact with customers, staff, and members of their organization. They possess a unique kind of creativity and talent. They use their internal map-making skills and judgment to manage complexity. Good judgment and generosity, combined with deep knowledge of your field, is yet another ability.

He concludes the book with a qualifier. Putting your heart and soul into your art doesn't always monetize. If this is the case, continue to be a generous artist. Learn from your previous experience. The compromise, if you can call it that, is to learn "how to love what you do to make money."

Remarks

Linchpin read like a series of blog posts. The writing style leaves latitude for personal interpretation. Depending on your experience and situation, Linchpin's messages will hit you on a personal level, more so than other business books. Here's what I took away.

As an entrepreneur, I didn't find the first six chapters groundbreaking. I already have my suspicions about the effectiveness of the factory model, schooling, and "just showing up" to work. It was pleasant to affirm my beliefs by reading what Godin had to say, but that's all.

I loved the second half of the book, however. My favorite chapter was called "The Resistance." It focuses on thwarting the overprotective tendencies of the amygdala, or lizard brain. The chapter explains how fear manifests and how to effectively accept it while staying in charge. Personally-and the book is personal-I found this to be the most useful chapter.

Following chapters let me piece together a picture of what a linchpin looks like. I didn't find a roadmap on how to be one (I guess I'm supposed to make my own map), but I found enough descriptions for a clearer mental image of a linchpin.

Some je ne sais quoi in Godin's writing also inspired me to try to be a linchpin. The mental picture of a linchpin, combined with the inspiration to try to fit that image, settled over me subtly, like a blanket. Something permeated. I do not know how it will manifest.

By the end of the book, I had absorbed the following message: Society rewards you for standing out, giving gifts, making connections, and being remarkable. I was motivated to try.

I'll keep this book around because I want to sustain that inspiration, not just go back to old routines and let the book's message fizzle out. Some might find this book mind-blowing--it depends on how you think and your personal situation. I recommend it for everybody. I would especially encourage you to read it if you're in a disappointing job, discouraged about work, or feel stuck in your business or career. Linchpin has a magic about it. Don't miss it.

(Book review by Drea Knufken)


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