Linchpin

Are You Indispensable?

By: Seth Godin

Narrated by: Seth Godin

Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there’s a third team, the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there’s no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers. They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art.

Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations. Like the small piece of hardware that 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 best jobs and the most freedom. Have you ever found a shortcut that others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection with someone others couldn’t reach? Even once? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable, by overcoming the resistance that holds people back.

As Godin writes, “Every day I meet people who have so much to give but have been bullied enough or frightened enough to hold it back. It’s time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must.”

©2010 Seth Godin (P)2010 Random House

Critic Reviews

"It's easy to see why people pay to hear what he has to say." (Time) 

"Thousands of authors write business books every year, but only a handful reach star status and the A-list lecture circuit. Fewer still - one, to be exact - can boast his own action figure. . . . Godin delivers his combination of counterintuitive thinking and a great sense of fun." (BusinessWeek) 

"If Seth Godin didn't exist we'd need to invent him - that's how indispensable he is! You hold in your hands a compelling, accessible, and purpose-filled book. Read it, and do yourself a big favor. Your future will thank you!" (Alan Webber, Founder, Fast Company) 

Maybe you missed the point...

For those reviewers who found this book unsatisfying, I suspect they missed the point. This is easily Seth Godin's most important and insightful book since "Purple Cow". The point is, you are unique and capable of so much more than you have been sold to believe; you are ro can be a "Linchpin". This book/audiobook helped me make it through the most difficult year of my professional life. Saying that this book is "Inspiring" doesn't do it justice. Listen to it, accept the reality that Seth shares, and take control of your life.

Also, if you're familuar with Seth's previous audiobooks, this is easily his best performance. I love them all, but his audiobook performance has come a long way from "Purple Cow".

Thank you Seth Godin...

Are You Also a Godin Fan?

It seems whatever Godin is selling I'm buying. Gotta give him credit for that. My advice for Linchpin is to make it through the first half of the book - as the second half is really where the action is. Stick it out. Godin might have something to sell, but that does not mean he is wrong. His basic point that, that the economy has ripped away any security of careers or institutions, and that we need to change our outlook towards work, is probably exactly right. The question is what do we do with this knowledge. I like Godin allright, some folks may hate him, I think he is worth reading to generate a great discussion.

It gets better

Lots of good information, though some of it, like the concept of resistance, are "borrowed" from other authors. Most notably Steven Pressfield. The first part of the book is a little tough to get through, but he brings it all together in the second half. Well worth the listen.

Fantastic!

This book is great. You don't need this book to tell you "how to" be indispensable, but it will come naturally once Seth Godin has INSPIRED you to be indispensable! It's about how to approach and execute your "job" functions so the net result of your performance day to day expresses who you are and what you can be. You are unique and indispensable, and deserve to experience and enjoy all of the gifts that you can give and receive through your life's work. I am encouraged, inspired and optimistic and have been recommending this book to everyone.
Plus it is read by the author, who miraculously does not have an annoying voice.

Linchpins only need to know WHAT to establish HOW

This book is fantastic at outlining WHAT needs to be done in order to be a Linchpin. However, it does not tell you HOW. That is why there are some reviewers who will not like this book. Seth even addresses this type of thinking in this book by stating the fact that a map for implementation/leadership does not exist because if it did, then anyone could do it and it would cease to be a true work of art. A Linchpin is able to see WHAT needs to be done and makes their own map as to HOW to get it done and shipped.

If you want a step-by-step book of what it takes to be incredible, this is not your book and I would be highly suspect of any book that claims that it can contain a template for original creative greatness.

I was expecting more

If you went to the bookstore and bought a bunch of books with motivational phrases, took those books home, cut out each phrase and put them in a pillowcase, and then shook that pillowcase, and then pieced each phrase back together at random, you would have something more coherent than this book.
It's like when you are awake at 3AM and there's nothing on TV except infomercials.
The idea of being a linchpin is a worthy idea and well worth pursuing. The problem is that this book doesnt even try to understand what exactly a linchpin is. At best, everything is anecdotal, strung together with feel-good hollow statements like 'resist the demon'. I think that was from Rocky III.
I was expecting something a bit more scientific, maybe a personality exploration of the linchpin in his or her native habitat. Nope. How about a story detailing how a regular Joe goes from regular to linchpin? Nada.
This book will underwhelm you.

Um.. Yeah... Then what?

I enjoyed listening to Seth Godin read his book--meaning, I liked his voice and reading style--but honestly, it felt like he was reading unconnected blog entries in no particular order. Sometimes it seemed as though the title of the "chapter" was as long as the "chapter." This is a made-up example, but a lot of the book sounds like this: Title: To be a Lynchpin is to be Indispensable. Body: If you are an Artist, and do only what you can do, then you are indispensable. You are a Lynchpin.

Despite this, I patiently waded through the 4.5 hrs. of what I determined to be "Malcolm Gladwell lite" hoping for some sort of payoff. A call to action, a step-by-step plan--even a decent recap of what I'd just spent 3 weeks trying to get through. Anything! I won't be a spolier, but let's just say that I was laughing so hard at the way the book ends (because I felt like such a sucker) that I almost drove my car off the road.

My fav above all. Almost nothing more to add.

I've been recommending this book many times since I attended Seth Godin's conference in Laguna Beach about 2 years from now. I read it a couples times and finally even bought the audio version, no need to say how I stick into it.

Of course, I definitively give 5/5 as overall score. If I really had to find a negative point, the only thing I could say is that Seth Godin miss a bit in linking all the dots into a story. If in one way or another, he could develop the big picture like he tells a story, I think he could have even larger audience.

Disappointed

I was looking forward to this book after hearing an interview with Seth Godin, but there is very little in the 4 1/2 hours that isn't self evident to any reasonably educated professional. The book may be valuable at the high school or early college level in exposing students to ways of thinking about a career/profession.

Simply Brilliant!

This audio book is brilliant, highly recommended to everyone, especially those of you that were hit hard by the recent economic depression.

Definitely getting the author's other books.

Disappointing, simplistic US-style self help dressed up as insightful science

I like the narrator and there are some good elements of this story. However it is let down by shoddy examples and surprising citations. He claims that cancer can be reversed by the placebo effect and harps on about the cringeworthy genius of everyone, while at the same time being completely derogatory towards many professions. I found this to be populist and ill thought out. I’m sure it sold a lot!

Instead of this book, try something useful and well research like “how to have a good day” by Caroline Webb. Note that I like Seth, but I think it could have been so much better.

How to be an artist.

This book it will remind you the artist you are and it will make you feel it that is necessary to pursue this art because average people any organisation can replace but an Artist is not that easy.

repetitive

The same information could have been imparted, with greater effect, on fewer pages. Rather repetitive.

Message received

Urgency for change has been seen. Not in an evolutionary way, but a radical change. The acceptance of what is. That what is within and seem to be perceived as out there.
I have seen the brainwashing within and seen the effect is has had on my life and the gift that are supposed to be shared through the me as a vehicle. Thank you for this. And thank you for reading. "Time to make a ruccus"

Just beautiful

This was one of those books. Commute - listen, walk - listen, go to sleep - listeb, wake up - listen, go to the toilet... You get the idea. Seth always delivers, but this one hit that sweet spot for me. You don't need to be a marketer to love and need this book. You just need to be hunan.

Classic Godin

I’m not going to lie, if you’ve read The Icarus Deception or Poke the Box, this book is not going to surprise you. Nonetheless it’s always good to listen to Seth methodically explain the nuances of what it means to be an artist and what it means to do great work. If you haven’t read Godin before - or have focused more on the marketing side of things - this is definitely worth the price of admission.

Having both read and listened to Seth Godin books, as well as listened to him on podcasts, there is definitely a significant value added in hearing his voice. Whereas many audiobook’s have a monotone orator reading the words of someone else, the words in this book resonate with the reader as a result of Seth’s thoughtful intonations and delivery.

I keep listening again and again

I keep listening to this book. A perfect book for those less ordinary! Get out of your own way and stop listening to the lizard brain. This book asks If not now then when? SHIP IT!

life changing book, but repetitive

Very motivating and inspiring but repetitive, I found the repetitions useful though, like a mantra being reiterated.

Some interesting observations....hard to read

This book feels quite disjointed and repetitive and I really struggled to get through it. Some novel observations.

Was expecting more

I feel it was saying the same thing over and over again. A small blog could have been enough. There was not enough material to make it a book, just repeating the same argument in different ways is not enough.