Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
by: Seth Godin


Can you be irreplaceable even if you aren't a genius? This book argues that with the right attitude, yes, you can. Linchpins are not born they are made and not by following a map or a recipe. There is no defined process of "how to" become indispensable; you have to create your own path.

I agree with Seth's philosophy but honestly I thought the book was lacking. There were no stories of successful people and how they applied themselves to their jobs in new ways. And because there aren't any good stories you could get the same value out of the book by just reading the 200+ chapter headings. Godin almost argues with himself trying to convince the doubters that his movement of thinking differently works. Regardless, the book was fairly motivating and can be summarized in three key points about moving from a white collar button-pushing worker to someone that people talk about and count on.
  1. Make art
    • Artists create and share art which Godin describes as "anything that's creative, passionate, and personal [that] resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator." Rather than paint on a canvas, art can be the way you negotiate a sale or design a business model. If you aren't reading a script and have a reason to share something new, you are an artist and artists are linchpins.
  2. Give gifts
    • Real gifts are given with no intent to receive reciprocation. Gifts are usually thoughtful and purposeful and whether that is your talents, wisdom, or something tangible, gifts make others special. Making others feel that emotional pull without obligation is rare, meaningful, and worth remembering. Indispensable people are not those that rack up a IOU list, they are people that are well connected because they honor the skills of others.
  3. Ship it
    • This book also encourages people to not second guess themselves and to not wait for the perfect moment. The hardest part about creating something new is fighting the urge to take the safe route and wait for someone else to do it first, approve it, or love it before you stick your neck out. Don't let your "lizard brain" fear get the best of you! To be a linchpin you have to not be afraid of mistakes. Pick up the phone, press "send" on that email, stamp the UPS package with your first rev of a product and just do it!
In my opinion you can say you are creative all you want but you need to show it for it to be true and the book could have done a better job in demonstrating who a linchpin is rather than attempting to explain it abstractly. No two linchpins are alike so aren't there tons of examples that we can look up to? Who is someone that you look up to that is an example of a forward thinker that doesn't "go by the book"?
Wedding season is in full swing! I went to two weddings in the last week and they were both beautiful! And, ironically I am celebrating an anniversary of sorts this week too because this blog was started a year ago. That means there are lots of reasons to celebrate!
  1. Don't make promises you can't keep
    • Marriage is a life-long commitment to someone else and of course you want to promise them the best future they could ever have. You can't possibly foresee the challenges and changes that you will go through so I felt very encouraged to see such honesty in the vows at the weddings. In business you need to also be honest such as when you are telling a customer of whether their requests will be fulfilled in an upcoming product release. If you can't see that far into the future, don't try to guess and instead simply promise to continue to communicate!
  2. Make new friends, but keep the old
    • This is good, solid advice from a girl scout song. Weddings are filled with old high school friends to reminisce with and new friends you see every day at work or the gym. The advice here is to not take either of them for granted! This means stay in touch and ask about their lives. It equally means expanding your network so you can have a breadth of connections to rely on in any future situation.
  3. A reason's a reason, no matter how small
    • One of my favorite things at weddings is the dance to celebrate all married couples. It is heart warming to see the ones that have been together for 20, 30 or even 50+ years. It gives you hope that you can make it too. I think everyone should celebrate the small and big wins on a business project, company culture change, or personal relationship. Whether the milestone is only a month or a 5-year plan, any reason is reason enough to celebrate and it will keep you motivated to get to the next one.
Congratulations to the happy newlyweds!
Diverging a bit from my regular blog posts, this month I'd like to share a few personal stories that have been my INspiration lately. This week, it is about my, well, politely said, "opportunity in disguise". The hard truth is that I was laid off last week due to company downsizing. It is a shock and a little bit of a emotional roller-coaster but I'm staying positive in that something better will come out of this. It has only been a week and so I don't have a lot to report but it definitely is consuming my energy. So far, whenever I'm on the brink of tears I just remind myself of these 3 things and then I'm fine again.
  1. Lean on your support system
    • Don't be afraid to rely on the people around you. That is why they are there and they love you. They will help get you through this. This is hard for me to do because I am a very self-sufficient person and proud of it but when I came home to dinner and wine that night it made me feel special. It helps to feel that you don't have to do it all, all the time. Let the people that love you remind you of that and let them take care of you for a bit.
  2. Find a new routine
    • The first thing I did was sign up for a gym class during the day that I've always wanted to try. Yes, it costs money but having something to regularly get myself out of the house is really important to stay moving and motivated. We all strive for control so if you are the one making decisions and choosing to do new and unfamiliar things, you will find strength to conquer it.
  3. Just keep swimming
    • Like Dory in Finding Nemo, the best way to deal with the fear of the unknown is to trigger your muscle memory bank and keep going with familiar habits. For me, that is setting my alarm every morning and keeping a weekly to-do list just like I do on the job. Staying organized and self-motivated is more important now than ever and your attitude will show when you have those next job opportunities.
I think everyone that has survived a layoff wears it as a badge of honor. I intend to do the same after I'm through with this "battle". Have you been through a layoff? What advice do you have for me and others going through this?

Edited: Read about my advice after the fact in my 4 part blog post on unemployment.

About Me



So if you want to be happy at work like I am, then thanks for being a reader! I am a consultant that travels constantly and is always working with new people. I love what I do! I'm formally trained with an MBA and BS Engineering. At home and in my free time, I like to drink beer, travel, garden, read, hike with my dog, and play board games.

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