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by
Seth Godin
Read between
October 16 - October 18, 2020
Telling people leadership is important is one thing. Showing them step by step precisely how to be a leader is impossible. “Tell
art is the act of navigating without a map.
Impossible, Yes, So Let’s Get to Work
Once on the street, a new thought: Impossible, yes, so let’s get to work.
started leaning in and seeking out projects where she could make a difference.
He’s a linchpin for his bank and for the Amish as well.
The typical big college in the United States today has a binge culture. The agenda is to get by in class, party a lot, become popular, and drink when you can. It’s not so difficult to adopt this agenda, not so difficult to fit in. But where does it get you?
factory. It turns out that our work changed, but our psyches didn’t.
You can either fit in or stand out.
There’s no doubt that environment still plays a huge role. The right teacher or the right family support or the accidents of race or birth location are still significant factors. But the new rules mean that even if you’ve got all the right background, you won’t make it unless you choose to.
These are internal choices, not external factors. How
The boss gives you an assignment; you do the work. In return, she gives you money. It’s an exchange, one not so different from shopping at the local store.
If you give your boss the gift of art, insight, initiative, or connection, she’s less likely to shop around every day looking to replace the commodity work you do, because the work you do isn’t a commodity.
The funny thing is that learning how to add joy, create art, or contribute humanity is a lot easier than learning how to play the guitar.
If you’re going to go to all the trouble of learning the song and performing it, then SING IT. Sing it loud and with feeling and like you mean it. Deliver it, don’t just hand it over like a bank teller. When you answer the phone or greet me at your office or come to a meeting or write something, don’t bother if all you’re going to do is do it. Sing it or stay home.
Most organizations focus on return on machines. I don’t mean only big, noisy, industrial machines. I am talking about the infrastructure of the organization. They have a system, a factory, a set of desks or buildings or computers or Web sites, and the goal is to extract maximum value from the machines they’ve got.
Linchpins don’t need authority.
Transferring your passion to your job is far easier than finding a job that happens to match your passion.
How Does a Linchpin Work?
In a world with only a few indispensable people, the linchpin has two elegant choices: 1. Hire plenty of factory workers. Scale like crazy. Take advantage of the fact that most people want a map, most people are willing to work cheaply, most people want to be the factory. You win because you extract the value of their labor, the labor they’re surrendering too cheaply. 2. Find a boss who can’t live without a linchpin. Find a boss who adequately values your scarcity and your contribution, who will reward you with freedom and respect. Do the work. Make a difference. If you are not currently doing
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“If only” is a great way to eliminate your excuse du jour. “If only” is an obligator, because once you get rid of that item, you’ve got no excuse left, only the obligation. I could see the situation more accurately if only . . .
The New York Times was offered a deal with Amazon during the 1990s.
Management had nostalgia for a future with steady increases in their current business, and felt threatened by a radical shift in that future.
The linchpin is able to invent a future, fall in love with it, live in it—and then abandon it on a moment’s notice.
Every day is a new chance to choose.
Openness, Conscientiousness, Extra-version, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability. Here’s
Genuine gifts, given with the right intent and a respectful posture, meet our sniff test.
We’re not even buying products. We’re buying relationships and stories and magic.
The communication of enthusiasm and connection and leadership starts with the gift you give, not with the manipulation you attempt.
Linchpins do two things for the organization. They exert emotional labor and they make a map.
1. Providing a unique interface between members of the organization 2. Delivering unique creativity 3. Managing a situation or organization of great complexity 4. Leading customers 5. Inspiring staff 6. Providing deep domain knowledge 7. Possessing a unique talent
When the situation gets too complex, it’s impossible to follow the manual, because there is no manual.
As markets fragment and audiences spread, consumers are seeking connection more than ever. In short, we’re looking for people to follow, and for others to join us as we do.
Combining that knowledge with smart decisions and generous contributions, though, changes things.
unique selling proposition. Of course, it’s not that. It’s a superpower.
Fantastic
When you meet someone, you need to have a superpower. If you don’t, you’re just another handshake.
It’s not about touting yourself or coming on too strong. It’s about making the introduction meaningful. If I don’t know your superpower, then I don’t kno...
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power you bring to the table has to be very difficult to replace. Be bolder and think bigger.
Which means you have only two choices: 1. Develop the other attributes that make you a linchpin. 2. Get a lot better at your unique talent.
Humility is our antidote to what’s inevitably not going to go according to plan.
being unpredictable in predictable ways.
You don’t start with the confidence of the company; you earn it.
The challenge lies in knowing your market and yourself well enough to see the truth.
Loving what you do is almost as important as doing what you love, especially if you need to make a living at it.
as soon as you focus on your art and leave the money behind, you may discover that this focus turns out to be the secret of actually breaking through and making money.)
Anyone who makes the choice to overcome the resistance and has the insight to make the right map can become a successful linchpin.
