Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin is the seventh book in our Summer Reading Club. The dictionary defines a linchpin as:
- A locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off.
- A central cohesive element
By Godin’s definition, a linchpin is “an individual who can walk into chaos and create order, someone who can invent, connect, create and make things happen.”
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In the book, Godin explains that we have all been brainwashed to fit in and be average over generations and generations of social conditioning. Through this brainwashing we have learned to maintain that status quo. However, due to the current market, employers have developed a serious upper hand, and the average workers have become easily outsourced, downsized, or freelanced into obscurity. It is because of this, Godin dramatically pleads for us all to become the indispensable workers as he believes that “to not be one is economic and career suicide.”
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According to Godin’s theory, we must follow the principles below in order to become indispensable:
- Connect
- Be generous
- Make art
- Acknowledge the lizard
- Ship
- Fail
- Learn
The quick wit and entertaining stories and descriptions make Linchpin a fast and easy read. Be sure to pick up a copy and start the emotional work necessary to become a linchpin.
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In what ways have you established yourself as a linchpin in your job?
