I will continue our series of book reviews with what can seem an unusual choice for the typical project manager: Seth Godin's latest book, called "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?". As you might expect, this book is not about project management. However, it is a good read for any project manager. To find out why, click on read more.

Linchpins & The New World of Work

As many of us might have noticed, the workplace has been changing for quite some time now. It is no longer just about being a manager or the one who does more or less 'manual' labor. Now there's a third camp - the one of the so called 'linchpins'.

Linchpins? What are these? According to Seth Godin, they are people who will truly rule the world. People who bring their best self to the marketplace, who invent, connect others, create and make things happen. If you were to ask me, that would be the definition of an ideal project manager. :)

However, being a 'linchpin' is much more - is about making the choice to make things which are worthwhile, without waiting for others to tell you what to do, without having a map but inventing it yourself and connecting others to your ideas and creations. It's about people who do things because they love what they do, not because they are rewarded for it. It's about people who are indispensable.

Well... it all sounds idealistic and nice. But what does it take to be a linchpin?

Good News: There is No Map

As I suspected from knowing Seth's style, he doesn't share a map on how to become a linchpin. First of all, he declares that depth of knowledge in a certain domain is no longer enough in the era where almost anything is documented on the web. It must be combined with other six characteristics:

1. Providing a unique interface between members of the organization;
2. Delivering unique creativity;
3. Managing a situation or organization of great complexity;
4. Leading customers;
5. Inspiring staff;
6. Possessing a unique talent.

Call it occupational idiosyncrasy, but don't most of these characteristics define great project managers? On a more serious note, if you think about the great people you worked with, independent of their official roles, don't they share most or all of these characteristics?

In my 3+ years of experience as a project manager I was lucky enough to have in my teams few of these people. And boy did i LOVE working with them and was geuninely sad when the project ended and had to let them go. If the whole team was made of linchpins, having a project manager might not have been needed in the first place. Or, the projects would have been a total breeze.

Seth makes a strong point that anyone can develop these characteristics, we just have to make the choice and work on it. About working on it...

Fighting the Resistance

... Seth believes we & our brains are the only ones to blame for us not being linchpins already. We've let ourselves get too entrenched in the system, we no longer dare challenge it and we're afraid of making the choices and actions that will make us happy and indispensable to our organizations.

He gives the example of Steve Jobs, who says 'Real artists ship'. Seth makes the point that linchpins always ship, whatever their art is (projects, painting, music, code, phone support, etc). He then continues to give some examples of how our brains stop us from shipping our magic, shares a few tips on how to identify when your brain tries to stop you and how to overcome this resistance.

This whole chapter is well written and useful to many who let their conservative instincts and thoughts get the best of them and stop them from shipping their art to the world. While reading it I realized many of the people I know should read it and start challenging themselves.

When It Doesn't Work

Before ending the book, Seth Godin spends some time to talk about what one should do when his art is not 'working' and does not deliver the expected results.

He gives a few examples of typical obstacles you might encounter: your boss is mediocre enough to not let you change things and do your art in your way, you don't earn enough money from your art, your organization doesn't give you enough authority and freedom, etc. Then, he shares a few ideas on how to overcome these challenges and change your approach so that you are successful.

The book ends on a very positive note which summarizes once again Seth Godin's objective:
'I didn't set out to get you to quit your job or to persuade you to become an entreprenuer or merely to change the entire world.
All I wanted to do in this book was to sell you on being the artist you already are. To make a difference. To stand for something. To get the respect and security you deserve.'

Verdict - Buy

While this is not a project management book, I highly recommend it to every project manager and his/her team. Seth Godin's "Linchpin" is a highly inspirational book which dares to make you think about your life and what you want to achieve while you live. This book really motivated me to continue pursuing my dreams and do my best with my art of project management, even though sometime i might not get the rewards I expect from it. It is a definite buy and share with your friends and your team.

If I've convinced you to purchase it, you can find it on both Amazon UK and Amazon US. If you order the book using these links we will also receive a small commission to support the expenses of the site. A big thank you to those who do so.

Related content:

Why Project Managers Are More Likely to Become Linchpins
Presentation Zen - Review Based on a True Story
The Project Manager - Mastering the Art of Delivery