Linchpins, Not Munchkins

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

Competencies: adaptability/stress tolerance, managing self, self-development

Who benefits: those searching for answers

Consultant Usage: interesting perspective on the world of work and personal success

What’s it about? This is not the book I thought it was when I set out to read it.  I have all kinds of mixed emotions about it.  I never did finish reading it; but I “get it”. 

On one hand I could never enthusiastically recommend it; on the other, I can see some people benefiting from this book. 

“If a genius is someone with exceptional abilities and the insight to find the not so obvious solution to a problem, you don’t need to win a Nobel Prize to be one.  A genius looks at something that others are stuck on and gets the world unstuck.”  The author (Seth Godin) calls these problem-solvers “linchpins”.   

He has a mostly black and white view of the world and organizations.  He sees the old work world as bosses and workers.  He sees the new work world as bosses, workers (bureaucrats) and problem-solvers (linchpins).  He sees the new world belonging to the linchpins.  The challenge is how to be one.

Grodin is both a Cheerleader and a Doomsday Prophet (DP).  As a DP he describes extensively how the world has changed and not for the better.  He claims, or exclaims, we all got a raw deal.  Promises of the past are long gone – especially in the workplace.  And for most of us the world is not a better place. 

As a Cheerleader he is filled with “you-can-do-its” and pep talks.  He sees voids just waiting to be filled by you and me (well, you) … linchpins who can get the world unstuck.  He sees the best jobs and most freedom going to those who can prove their worth by getting “things” unstuck.  Linchpins make themselves indispensable and “indispensables”. 

He has a knack of cheering you on in one paragraph and kicking you in the backside in the next. 

Why read the book?  Number 1, he has an interesting albeit negative view of the world of work.  This book is “about overcoming a multigenerational conspiracy designed to sap your creativity and restlessness.”  

Number 2, he has an equally interesting way of motivating the reader to take charge of his or her career and life – about making a difference and succeeding.  Those are two reasons you might want to give it a read. 

Catch you later

[tags]adaptability/stress tolerance, managing self, self-development, linchpins, envisia, envisia learning, bill bradley, william bradley, bradley[/tags]

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.