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1-Page Summary of Linchpin

Overview

Seth Godin’s “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?” (2010) argues that the business world no longer needs employees who simply meet minimum production levels. Instead, companies need creative and innovative workers who can help improve their businesses without being asked to do so. These linchpins are able to spot problems and come up with solutions even when they aren’t explicitly given more work, which makes them valuable parts of any company’s success. By giving more value than you’re paid for, a worker becomes as essential as an artist does in any field. However, becoming a company linchpin doesn’t mean that you’ll never be fired or replaced; it just means that your reputation will precede you should you leave your current job.

Since the 19th century, people have been trained to be obedient in exchange for financial security. Factory workers are no longer the only ones who are being trained to follow orders and fulfill quotas. Call centers, fast food restaurants, and hospitals all train employees this way as well.

In the past, people were complacent and passive because their jobs provided them with stability. In the 2000s and 2010s, however, technological innovations made average work obsolete. People can no longer settle for mediocre performance because businesses are finding it easier to hire a replacement if an employee isn’t performing well or is complacent. To achieve financial success and job satisfaction in today’s economy, employees need to be more innovative by tapping into their imagination and creative problem-solving skills.

Employees need to figure out what their talents are and use them to improve companies in unexpected ways. For example, a barista could use empathy and attentiveness to provide better customer service. A farmer might be able to demonstrate his or her agricultural skills by growing vegetables that taste better than those sold at the grocery store.

Linchpins must have emotional intelligence. They need to be able to understand the emotions of others and connect with them in a way that makes customers happy, coworkers engaged and bosses impressed. If workers can’t do these things, they’ll quickly become average employees who don’t stand out or get promoted.

The educational system and business world still encourage people to follow orders from above. However, Linchpins resist this urge. They bring humanity, creativity, charity and passion to their work in order to be central to success for a company.

Key Point 1: Companies risk vulnerability to competitors when they rely on an easily trained labor force.

If an employee can be easily trained in the job, then a competitor could figure out how to do their job and profit from it. Hiring employees who are intuitive and motivated will help the company come up with strategies that other companies don’t have. If a business wants to stand out, they should hire linchpins for most of their positions.

When companies are looking for linchpins, they should seek people who have the skills that will best benefit their business. They should also take into account what stage of development the company is in and whether or not it’s in a different industry than where those skills were honed. If they don’t, then those professionals may do well at their jobs but won’t be able to use all of their talents to help out the company as much as possible.

A company may have to let go of certain employees if it changes its industry or continues growing. A manager who was once effective may not be able to help the company grow anymore, and will need to step aside in order for the business to take on more customers. Good managers understand what they’re good at and know when their skills can no longer benefit the company.