"People follow because they want to, not because you can order them to." This is the essence of leadership, and the essence of Seth Godin's new book Linchpin. The linchpin is not who they are because of their title, they are the linchpin because they have made themselves indispensable. They aren't the boss, but they certainly aren't another cog in the machine. And they are not easily replaceable.
Our economy changed significantly about 100 years ago to a society of mass production factories. We went from everyone owning their own business to everyone working in a factory. Today we are moving out of production jobs, but not out of factory jobs. Everywhere you turn companies act like a factory, whether it be McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble, or your job. Face it, most work has turned to factory work. Companies like this, or at least they think they do, because you have become easily replaceable. Our school systems train us for this from the beginning. It is the reality we live in.
We liked these factories for a long time. You found a job and stayed there for thirty years. The company then took care of you in retirement for the rest of your life. Unfortunately somewhere along the way we got greedy and lazy. We decided we were ok with mediocre work and being replaceable cogs in the machine of business. That's when GM stopped being successful and foreign companies starting beating us. The rules have changed.
In today's society where people are trained to be cogs you have think differently to be a linchpin. The cog wants to keep his head down, follow instructions, and show up on time. The linchpin is remarkable, makes judgment calls, and connects people and ideas. The linchpin is the guy who goes out of his way to do what needs to be done. If there is task not being completed, go and do it. Whether that is helping on a project that needs finished yesterday or taking out the trash. Linchpins are the people the boss goes to when he doesn't know who can get the job done. He knows his linchpin can do it.
The linchpin makes their job better, because they change their own job description. They don't wait for the promotion to do better work, they do it because they that is what makes them tick. I'm not talking about being a workaholic, I'm talking about the waitress at that restaurant you go to just because she is there and serves you well. She is a linchpin.
Check out Seth Godin's Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
for more on what he thinks a linchpin is. Then go ahead and become one if you aren't yet. You'll be glad you did.
0 comments:
Post a Comment