Are You a Linchpin?

Less than 2 months after I started my very first internship, I received an email from my boss with the title: “Are you a Linchpin?”. I was confused mostly because I didn’t know what it was, and then I had to answer whether I was or not. Hearing that question from your boss, you know that there is only one correct answer!

The e-mail started with a company progress report and the following:

Like any other endeavour in life, you get out of this what you put into it, you reap what you sow. …. Some will simply coast through their days and go through the motions while others throw their dedication behind the project and exceed everyone’s expectations. … People (in any organization) notice the level of dedication, emotional engagement you put into things.  This type of commitment is what sets you apart and makes you a sought-after person.

Then he introduced Seth Godin‘s book Linchpin: are you indispensable?

I was immediately hooked when I started reading. I felt like I found what I was looking for, a way to differentiate myself and stand out from the crowd. I wanted to become a linchpin at work and in life. So I read the book and read it again and tried to use it in everything I did. The book changed me for the better.

A while ago I’ve started my own business. Less than two months ago we hired 2 co-op students. Today I’m going to write an email to them with the title: Are you a linchpin?