Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
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ISBN13: 9781591843160 Condition: New Notes: BUY Together with CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Evaluate our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
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"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
It's a mind-opener   2010-08-25
By Orna Drawas (Raleigh, NC, US)
This book articulates concepts that I know... but have never thought about in this way. It has opened up my mind to the same concepts in a whole new way.
Linchpin (review en español)   2010-08-22
By Cristian Guajardo Garcia (Santiago, Chile)
Seth Godin es probablemente uno de los autores más longevos y prolíficos en el área del marketing, las empresas y los negocios. Desde hace más de una década, Godin ha estado sacando un hit tras otro: "Tribes", "Purple cow", "Small is the new big" o "All the marketers are liars". Hoy, su nuevo trabajo, hereda esta rica tradición y vuelve a situar al calvo entre los top 3 de los ranking. Linchpin es un libro distinto. En el cual Godin hace un repaso por la historia, explica como funciona la mente humana, la mente de las organizaciones y como el paradigma ha llegado a un borde donde exige un nuevo tipo de personas: Los linchpin, o individuos que a través de su trabajo (o arte) son capaces de generar vínculos o nodos de trabajo. De la misma forma, Linchpin anuncia el fin de las empresas tal y como las conocemos: Desgastadas, poco atractivas, lúgubres y "chupa vida", las empresas se parecen cada vez más a un castillo embrujado y no al lugar agradable que debiese ser. Eso hace de este un gran libro: Pareciese como si el mundo de las empresas estuviese contra las cuerdas, enredado, atrapado y congestionado con personas que sólo se comportan como mecanismos intercambiables y prescindibles. Es ahí donde aparece esta casta, justo entre los jefes y empleados. Los linchpin son personas que pueden y quieren entregar mucho más de lo que deben. Godin plantea que a través del tiempo, las personas hemos sido adoctrinados para escuchar, asentir y obedecer. Desde el colegio nos han pedido que no rompamos los moldes, que entreguemos las tareas sin cuestionarlas y que siempre cumplamos horarios. Si bien Linchpin no es una formula paso a paso para cambiar nuestra forma de ser y transformarnos en artistas emocionales, Godin hace hincapié en los errores que solemos reiterar y todo el mundo que se empieza a abrir una vez que empezamos a trabajar bajo otro prisma. Lo que más disfrute del libro es la propiedad que tiene para mantenerse con nosotros. La teoría principal es sencilla de asimilar (quizás no de llevar a la práctica) y la pluma de Godin lleva tanto tiempo trabajando que se ha vuelto amena y con gran ritmo. "Linchpin" es una lectura recomendada para personas de cualquier ámbito. Imperdible y abordable. No necesitas estar inmerso en ninguna industria en particular para absorber y devorar las hojas del libro. PEACE OUT
For those craving more humanity in the world of work   2010-08-12
By Daniel Estes (Kansas City, USA)
The world of learning and work has changed, but for the most part we continue to use old solutions to address new challenges. This is the setup for Seth Godin's "Linchpin" which is his plea for us to not be cogs in the machinery anymore. A linchpin (a worker, learner AND artist) is one who is indispensable within her life network. This could be where you work, where you volunteer, where you go to school or even at home. Those who continue to contribute solely by following the instructions of others are seeing their value decline unforgivably. The world has changed and those who can navigate without a road map are the future leaders. Moreover, as Godin explains, the linchpin will be an unconditional gift-giver. Giving to others above and beyond what you're paid to do will make your own contributions unique and allow for a human connection that business interactions often seriously lack. I recommend giving this book as a gift to someone in your life who craves more humanity in their world of work.
Valuable Insight into Yourself   2010-08-09
By Kevin Eikenberry (Indianapolis, IN USA)
Seth Godin has written a ton of good books. Many have been about marketing related topics, more recently he has written on personal and professional development. This book extends some of his previous work in some ways, yet I find it hard to categorize. The book, as of this writing was in the Amazon top 100 in two categories - Job Hunting and Careers and Self-Help/Success. It could also be categorized as a leadership book, a marketing book and more. In part Seth is trying to describe a shift in the work of the world, how it is valued and what will make you most successful. In part he is convincing you in a quite personal way how remarkable you can be and in part he is giving you suggestions and ideas to help you move in that direction. His points are made with stories, research and simple examples. He challenges you to think, he asks his readers tough questions. I particularly like the chapter on Resistance. I feel it is worth the investment in the book in and of itself. I know I will read it again (likely before you read these words). Seth's writing style is easy and fun to read, and if you are fan you will definitely want to read this book. If you haven't read Seth before (you can always start at his blog), pick this book if the topic and my comments resonate with you. It isn't his shortest book, and depending on your perspective, maybe not his best, but it provides valuable insights and challenge you to think about your career, your talents, your choices and yourself in new ways.
Best case borrow this book from the library   2010-08-03
By Darryl J. Parks (MO United States)
I agree with the reviewers that say this is an important topic and the basic topic is good. I just didn't get much from the book. It did little or nothing to either enlighten me or provide a good working solution to achieve this proposed utopian state of being a Linchpin. Maybe I'm just cynical after reading enough of the pop psychology of the lizard brain, etc. But this book did not inspire or educate me to any degree. But hey all you modern day 'factory workers' beware, you have to be a linchpin or your job will go over seas. I must admit that Mr. Godin didn't help much when he resorted to quoting Karl Marx to make his case about how to succeed in capitalism. Either case if you really want to read this book, borrow it from the library (like I did) and read the summary chapters. I purchase books that provide useful material are timeless classics or I want to read more than once. This book met none of my criteria.