Are You Indispensable?
1591844096
Seth Godin
Notes
Everything you were taught in school and by the media was an invented myth, a fable designed to prep you to be a compliant worker in a local factory…The problem is that our culture has engaged in a Faustian bargain, in which we trade our genius and artistry for apparent stability…“Do not internalize the industrial model. You are not one of the myriad of interchangeable pieces but a unique human being, and if you’ve got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you’re learning to say it better.” – David Mamet…Kids don’t set out to be average, then they are trained to be fearful of standing out.
When you hire a VP for business development, it is a given that he will not be your errand boy. Its his job to innovate, create new opportunities, connect with hard to reach people, and follow the long line on the way to success. As we go lower down the totem-pole we assume that less pay = less humanity…The easier a task is to quantify, the less it is worth…Hierarchy of Value
- Create / Invent
- Connect
- Sell
- Produce
- Grow
- Hunt
- Lift
If you’re a linchpin, doing a job that is not getting done is essential.
Krulak’s Law – The closer you get to the front (the customer) the more power you have over the brand
…your body of work should speak for you, not a piece of paper.
The greatest shortage in our society is an instinct to produce. To create solutions and hustle them out the door. To touch the humanity inside and connect to the humans in the marketplace.
Anxiety is practicing failure in advance – it is fear about fear
If you burn out along the way, you’re not doing anyone a favor.
If you can’t sell your ideas, your ideas go nowhere.
…a cornerstone of your job is selling your boss on your plans, behaving in a way that gives her cover with her own boss, being unpredictable in predictable ways…you don’t start with confidence within your company, you earn it.
The concept of this book is good, and an employee especially should strive towards being viewed as a linchpin. The book would probably be more impactful as a long article though…