Becoming the Linchpin

• Without the linchpin, everything falls apart. Some organizations have one while some have many. You are better building a team and letting them figure it out than telling people what to do and being wrong. In organizations there are endless degrees of freedom. A lynchpin embraces lack of structure. They don’t wait to be assigned jobs. They just do them. The waiter with the most secure job may not be the hardest working. It is the one who can placate customers, finesse the computer system, and mollify the chief. Troubleshooters step in when others give up.
• For Seth, fearless means not being afraid of things you shouldn’t be afraid of. It doesn’t mean being reckless. Artists understand that there is no map, no step-by-step plan, and no way to avoid blame. A resume gives the employer everything she needs to reject you. What you need are samples of remarkable things you have done, and don’t let rules stand between you and becoming indispensable. Finally, if you have to conceal your true nature to get in the door, you will have to conceal it to keep the job.

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