Are You A Linchpin?

I highly suggest you read the book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin. 

And let me tell you something: you want to be a Linchpin. In a nut shell, if you are great at what you do … you will become an artist. Artists are unique and cannot easily be replaced, copied or outsourced.   

In the book, Godin says it’s time we stop mindlessly complying with the system – or being a cog – and start creating our own maps (ways of doing things and uniquely solving problems). We all have art to create, and the longer we spend our time solely following other peoples’ rules, the bigger of a hole we’re digging for ourselves. If your entire job can be penned out in a manual, you are replaceable. If you ever catch yourself saying, “not my job,” you are not a linchpin. If you do everything your boss tells you, no less and no more, you’ll be one of the first to go when the company downsizes. 

If you make some decisions without asking for permission, use your creativity while producing, and ship assignments only you are capable of doing, then you are indispensable. You must become indispensable to thrive in the new economy.  

This book is required reading for anyone that wants to succeed in todays ever-changing workforce. It’s thoughtful, it holds your hand through the steps of becoming indispensable, and it’s reassuring.  Seth says, “You have brilliance in you, your contribution is valuable, and the art you create is precious.” 

Now it’s time to start creating the Linchpin within you.

[Photo from sethgodin.com]