Godin Says, be a Linchpin

I just read a recent book from Seth Godin called Linchpin that I thought was very insightful for management teams of expansion stage companies (or any individual in today’s work environment) seeking better creativity, innovation and impact on their organization.

Godin keys in directly on the continual mental fight professionals have all the time: be risk averse, uncreative and fearful, where you are relying on what he calls your lizard brain to survive in the work environment and life — or — key into your daemon which is the higher-level opposing force in your brain that is the source of creativity, insight, selflessness, love and determination. As it relates to what people bring to the job, it is easy to be a lizard as continually doing the mundane and meeting the status quo of your role can be perceived as good enough and safe. However, for the greater good of organizations, relationships and ultimately personal and professional success, tapping into your daemon and being a Linchpin — a person “who uses bravery, insight, creativity and boldness to challenge the status quo” — will allow greater value creation and performance overall.

Not every organization can foster linchpins. If creativity is not endorsed, voices are not heard and the repercussions/negative feedback for failure is great, employees’ lizard brain will dominate their activities and you will end up with a dictatorship culture with mindless drones.

As you are leading your team (or playing a critical role in it) and employing business growth strategies to achieve the defined mission and vision, ask yourself: are you being a linchpin and promoting an environment for linchpins to emerge? I don’t know about you, but I am not much of a fan of lizards!

-KKF