Are you indispensable?

Yes, the sub-title of another of Seth Godin’s thought provoking books “Linchpin” .

Initially, I was excited.  I really wanted my teenage daughter to read it and understand the world had changed; she doesn’t have to be a cog in the capitalist corporate wheel; she can live her values and do anything she wants in life.  Then I had a wobble.  Hey, wasn’t this the stuff that Jim Rohn was talking about 20 years ago “work harder on yourself than you do on the job” just dressed up in a contemporary package.  There was even a really bad moment on the train to London when a gentleman opposite basically asked if people are still reading that self-improvement rubbish.  I put it aside.

Here’s the thing.  This week I had a great week.  Seth had got under my skin.  I remembered that actually being indispensable wasn’t important to me.  What was important was being passionate about playing the game my way, about bringing my “art” and emotional labour to work with me.  I’m working on a great project with some people I really believe in, and, though I hate to admit it,  Seth was there with me.

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? How to Drive Your Career and Create a Remarkable Future