Seth Godin – A Modern Day Howard Roark?

I just finished reading Seth Godin’s new book, Linchpin, over the weekend. Maybe I am just looking for some way to bring Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead into a discussion to sound really intellectual, but I found there to be a striking similarity to the messages contained in each book.

Mr. Godin’s new book focuses on how to make yourself indispensable ( a linchpin ) in the current and future economy. The thesis is that the we have built a societal infrastructure to support the mindset of a factory worker, and that the factory worker is disappearing. Mr. Godin defines a factory as any company where the work can be automated, scripted or otherwise clearly defined. We have built schools that do not teach how to think, adapt, and create art, but rather conform to accepted norms. We build companies that enforce policies with thick manuals, have hiring processes that stress fitting to a position, and reward those that follow the company map.

What we need, in contrast, are people that are willing to embrace and create their own personal “art.” Art, according to Mr. Godin, is not just music, paintings and other traditional forms, but also anything you do uniquely well. For example, my art form might be the ability to analyze situations and recommend best practices in software development projects. Or, it might be my ability to connect people to a movement or initiative. Whatever the unique gifting an individual possesses, Mr. Godin is imploring us to deploy it instead of taking the safe road already taken, the road that all of us are trained to take.

Here is where Howard Roark comes in, in my way of thinking. Howard Roark was an uncompromising artist. He was willing to build buildings his way, and only his way. He did not seek the approval of others, nor did he build based on the patterns of the past. He saw a piece of land, and built what he thought belonged there. He adapted each and every building to the current situation, with no reliance on past projects or societal norms. Every creation was unique. He was willing to destroy ( via extreme means ) work that was already done to ensure that it was done the way he wanted. It was craft for craft’s sake. It was a gift.

Maybe it’s an extreme analogy, and maybe I am fishing, but I think this is the essence of Mr. Godin’s new book. We need to be willing to blow things up that are not working, that are not done the way we think they should be. We need to be willing to rebuild education, companies and other organizations in a way that rewards the creative forces in each of us. We, as people that create, need to be willing to invest and to give of ourselves with no expectation of reciprocity. If we create something that is of value, the ability to earn a living because of it will be there.

There is a whole section of the book on why we resist taking chances, and why we love maps. It is worth a read unto itself, and I would not do it justice in a review.

I really enjoyed the book, and found it to be both inspiring and practical. It is not a “how to remake yourself in three easy steps” type of message, but rather a call to arms. The days of being average and mediocre are quickly disappearing, so start creating your own map now. Become indispensable.