The Purple Cow Becomes a Linchpin
January 28, 2010
Gretchen Rubin over at The Happiness Project had the good fortune to interview Seth Godin, the Internet's darling of the marketing world, about his newest book, Linchpin: Are You Indsipensable? More info can be found at Squidoo on The Linchpin Posts.
I found Gretchen's interview worth sharing, so here it is, broken in a few pieces that are relevant to much of what I try to help you with, with a recommendation to go over to The Happiness Project and read the entire interview for yourself. Remember - Seth Godin is one of today's best marketers because he offers specifics, not generalities. He proves that anyone, yes, anyone, can be the Linchpin or The Purple Cow or the leader of the Tribe, if he or she wants to.
The first point made involves creativity. Who has it and who doesn't? Guess what the answer is. The answer is: we all have it. Seth says "the only thing prevent[ing] your creativity from showing up is fear." Hmmm... are you afraid? Afraid of failure or success?
Further on, Gretchen discusses translating "big ideas into practical actions." This is a hard thing to embrace. Most people are able to think up the "big idea"...but few are able to create the practical action for it. Seth says, "...I think setting out to do something small is easier and more likely to work. Small as in human, transparent and connected. Small as in 'worth doing' but also 'worth failing at.' "
Hmmm... what small idea can you think up, today? And make "worth doing" as well as "worth failing at." Maybe it's just a phone call, or a walk around the block. Maybe it's implementing that newsletter you've created but never done anything with. Maybe it's emailing 25 friends and colleagues to ask how they're doing and if there is anything you can do, this month, to help? Maybe it's stepping out of your comfort zone and not caring if you fall.
Because even if you fall...I promise, the ground will still be beneath you and you can get back up and try again.
Seth says, "The world wants you to be a faceless, replaceable cog in the vast machinery of production--but if you choose, and you work at it, you can become the sort of person we really need, an indispensable linchpin, a person who matters."
I say, you are a person who matters. I say, you are a linchpin. You just need to step back, look at the big picture and figure out WHERE in the vast machinery of life your linchpin fits. And then, make it stick. Don't let anyone remove it. And be proud as it keeps the right machine moving in the right direction.
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