This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans (Create a Strategy to Elevate Your Career, Community & Life)

by Seth Godin

It might be helpful to imagine that we can choose a persona for our project and our work. Each is appropriate in some circumstances—the trap lies in wearing one of these hats and then hoping for the result that comes from a different one. Whether or not you actively choose a hat, you’re wearing one. Or sometimes more than one, which is rarely a good look. The insurgent: This project has enough speed, direction, and power to actually force the system to take notice. The status quo will fight back and sometimes succeed and survive. The Occupy movement was an insurgent that failed, while Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley succeeded. The change agent: When the technology of production or communication fundamentally shifts, the existing system pretends it’s not happening, tries to fight it, and ultimately fails or changes. Examples of this include the impact podcasts have had on traditional talk radio, or the inexorable shift in every element of our lives due to climate change. The cobbler: This person does an important job in an existing system, and while not often paid fairly, toils away at their craft. Most freelancers fall into this category. Fidei Defensor: The defender of the faith. Originally coined by Henry VIII, the “faith” being defended here is not necessarily religious but represents any set of traditional values, customs, or systems that are being challenged or questioned. It’s a cheese bully, fighting against vegan cheese, or a music critic sneering about what’s on the...