Your reaction to events defines your value, is one of the messages from Seth Godin’s new book, Linchpin. The other day, my Blackberry died, leaving me with some undisturbed commuting time to focus as I pleased (focus continues to be my theme this year). So for the last two days, I dove into Linchpin, finishing it this morning.

I was lucky enough to receive a pre-release copy, but it is out in the stores now. I have been a big fan of Seth for a while now. I truly enjoy his writing style and his way of taking sometimes complex themes and uncovering their essence, keeps me coming back. If you are a fan of Seth’s blog, this will be a very easy read for you. It felt less like a book and more a collection of blog posts, almost like a stream of conciousness. Typically, his subject matter is marketing, but with The Dip, and now Linchpin, he seems to be broadening his worldview. Linchpin seems to be Seth at a crossroad, he seems much more philosophical here. Linchpin’s core idea is that the world of work has changed and that in order to truly succeed, one must become an “artist”. Art, not competence, is the new differentiator. Artists stand out, they are passionate about their calling, and they give their art to the world, without the promise of anything in return. Being an artist is not limited to painting, music, etc; an artist can be the hotel employee who runs out in the middle of the night to purchase gym shorts for a guest (without being told). Being an artist is mastering what you do, for the sake of the mastering. Linchpins are artists, but that is not all. Linchpins are connectors of people and ideas. This doesn’t necessarily mean you are in “sales”.It means you recognize that success for you, for your ideas, for your organization necessitates a connected world, and a Linchpin acts as that hub. Finally, Seth gets a little Zen on us with the last characteristic of a Linchpin; attachment. A linchpin realizes that there are things that are under her control and that there are many things that are not. Being attached to those things out of your control (the weather, your boss’ reaction, market conditions) is fruitless. The Linchpin acknowledges these outside stimuli, and incorporates them into their action plans, but they aren’t emotionally wedded to them. In fact, a Linchpin has an openness about them; they are not attached to a particular world view, but are open to considering, and acting upon, many views. In sum, Seth discusses the concept of choice, which is one of my favorite topics. Everything is a choice. You choose what to do, how to act, and how to re-act, everyday, allday. A Linchpin realizes the power of their choosing, and embraces that power. Part self-help book, inspirational tome, and HR manual; Linchpin seemed to be a departure for Seth Godin, but a welcome one. Like many of Seth’s books, after reading Linchpin I realized that he and I share many beliefs, but it takes a strong thinker to put them concretely into a book. Linchpin will either empower you or frustrate you…your choice, I’ve made mine.

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