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Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? How to Drive Your Career and Create a Remarkable Future |  | Author: Seth Godin
Publisher: Piatkus Books
Category: Book
List Price: £11.99
Buy New: £5.71
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Seller: BOOKS TO WORLD
Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 1227
Media: Paperback
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.9
ISBN: 0749953357
EAN: 9780749953355
ASIN: 0749953357
Publication Date: February 4, 2010
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Timely new book from US bestselling author, Seth Godin whose previous books include Purple Cow, The Dip and Tribes.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 18
Read it rather than listen to the audio version July 16, 2010
J. S. Hardman (Near London, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love the convenience of audio books, but on this occasion I would say buy the print copy and read it instead. The reason for this is that the audio version of "Linchpin: Are you indispensible" is read without any great emphasis, except right at the beginning when told you are a genius. So, for the length of two CDs, you listen to material that is actually quite incisive, but the audio just washes over you, with the result that at the end you cannot remember the things that you meant to action as a result of things said earlier on. Read it in printed form and you will turn corners or make notes. I've listened to the CDs three times (I had them on a loop in the car) over a period of a couple of weeks and still couldn't write down a complete action list resulting from the material. The audio version is also abridged, so the printed form will contain extra material - I do not know the details.
In terms of the content, I found myself agreeing with most of it, particularly talk of resistance. It can be summarised as "you can either try to be the best you can be or you can just fit in". That's it really. What the author does not go into is the problem of how few companies can cope with people who push to be really good, who do creative stuff and work slightly outside the box. Many companies (or middle or junior managers at least) want people who do what they are told, nothing more, nothing less, and who just keep their heads down. That might not be what the executives want, but lower levels of management often do. So, if you are one of those people who push to do things better, to create more, to deliver more, to improve quality and performance, then you may just have to start your own company or try working for a number of companies before you find one where your efforts are appreciated. Sad, but true - in the UK at least.
I do also have a couple of issues with the idea of making yourself indispensible. From the employer's point of view, anybody indispensible represents key-person risk. Allowing anybody to become indispensible is a mistake on the employer's part. Employers may take different actions when they realise that somebody is becoming indispensible. The drastic one is to get rid of the person before it is too late, the less drastic is to ensure that skills and knowledge are shared so that the person does not become indispensible. From the employee's point of view, if the employee has loyalty to his/her employer or colleagues then the employee should recognise when this key-person risk is developing and try to ensure that action is taken to reduce it. As a contractor, I believe that one of my responsibilities is to ensure that when I move from one contract to another, my previous client is able to continue without too much impact. Whether that is by documenting in great detail the many things I do, by training other people to do those same things, or by a combination of methods, I believe making myself indispensible is wrong, despite understanding why from a job security angle some people would want to. However, making myself the best I can be is right.
So, I think the title could be changed - are you the best you can be, rather than are you indispensible. And I would say, read this book rather than listen to it. But otherwise, it is pretty good, if not great.
 Pretty Good July 6, 2010
Caroline Young (|Birmingham)
It is kind of all the things you already know, but also all the things you always forget. V useful.
Ship it or Forget it July 5, 2010
N. Allen
Seth once again brings great insight.
A step away from traditional Marketing type lectures, this book both inspires and motivates change. Focusing on how to be indispensable in your career or as an entrepreneur, the book takes you through the classic denial phases and how to fight that inner voice telling you "you can't do it".
- if you're looking for a roadmap, this isn't the book for you, but if you're looking to be the map maker, then grab a copy now.
Nick
very innovative June 18, 2010
Mr. S. R. Brown
Very innovative book never before did i read his blogs which made learning all this new information great. The only thing that I dont like about this book is the way how it is laid out. I would have preferred it if it was done in a traditional book format than a blog.
A compelling and inspirational read June 8, 2010
S. Pashley (North West, UK)
I have to say for the most part this is an inspiring read and has affected my approach to work, and it's influence can be seen on my blog postings. I can't help but see how anyone can be similarly affected. I found a great deal of the book affirmed my personal beliefs and I even found one small paragraph that read like it was taken straight from my blog!
The writing can become repative at times as there is a tendancy for the same point to be made time & time again, repeated until you're mind won't let it go. It winds around & around, re-stating the same fact, again & again. Languishing on the same point, a bit like this. It does mean it sticks in your memory though. :)
Having said this, whilst the majority of the book is "on the money" I fundamentally disagree with Seth's point on education and how wrong the current system is for our future leaders. Maybe this is specific to the USA and I can see Seth's point but picking up on his other points, education is something that's a gift we give to our children in the hope that they lead successful and fulfilling lives. There are areas of the world that do not have the education we take for granted in the west and they struggle to make ends meet, hoping they can one day afford books and escape their lives. I think Seth's point dismisses this benefit and almost claims we should just let our children be feral. I appreciate this is challenging and thought provoking and my comments most likely justify Seth's writing.
After reading Seth's other books over the years, I have learned and put into practice a great deal of the points raised and adapted them to suit my work making computer games and I feel the people I work with have also indirectly benefitted. I look forward to the next book and until then I'll continue to read Seth's blog to fill the gap.
Read this, and The Dip and Tribes and you'll be spouting Godinisms!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 18
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