The Art of the 'Linchpin' — An Interview with Seth Godin

Tonic speaks with Seth Godin — the businessman who guides with his instinct, his mind, his heart and now, his art — who, in 'Linchpin,' asks: Are you indispensable?

Not many businessmen are known for championing Purple Cows and art. Seth Godin, then, is no ordinary businessman. Though his books have sold millions and garnered countless inspired fans, his work has laid out a growing philosophy that's set aside the go-to "greed is good" formula for success — instead suggesting that creativity, generosity and the moxy to go the extra mile will indeed skyrocket careers and quality of life.

In his new book, Linchpin, released January 26 nationwide, Godin does the unexpected and suggests that we reframe our value system to focus on giving and bonding rather than getting and escalating. The hope seems to be that we will aim for human connection while at the same time building our own personal strength through practicing creativity. "When we agree to define our success on others' terms, especially other people who don't particularly like us and aren't inclined to root for us, we're giving in to resistance," he writes. (p. 147) Through historical examples, personal anecdotes and well-crafted theories, Godin makes a case for trailblazing not as a carbon copy cog, but a critical linchpin upon which the system relies in order to move forward.

Tonic had the opportunity to ask Godin some questions about this manifesto of sorts, a labor of love articulating his overarching worldviews as related to the work that we do. Below, Godin's approach to an artistic life, in his own words.

Tonic: What is your definition of "art"?

Godin: Art is a generous gift from one human to another, something that changes someone for the better. It has nothing to do with painting, or even entertainment. It has to do with original thought and action that touches us.

Tonic: "Giving gifts that change people" — are these literal gifts to people or organizations? Is it abstract artistic energy? What do you mean by "gift"?

Godin: A gift (inspired by books by Mauss and Hyde) is something very different from a financial transaction. In a transaction with money, we end up even-steven. You get this, I get that. A gift is uneven. One person ends up owing another, and one person gets to be generous. A gift can be a glance at a painting or the strain of a symphony, or an electronic introduction or a PDF file or a warm coat. As long as you're not for hire, as long as it's not at retail, it becomes a gift. It turns out that gifts bring us closer together, while transactions isolate us.

Tonic: This sounds like a dream philosophy for someone with nothing to lose, but what about the art-loving breadwinner making ends meet, trying to feed kids and get them through school?

Godin: See, during the industrial revolution and age that is ending now, you had to choose. You had to be a compliant cog in the industrial system to make a living, and then you could be a human at night. But what's changed, and fairly suddenly, is that being a cog isn't so safe, isn't so well-paying and is even less fun. It turns out that the people with good jobs and security are the ones that make a difference every day. The more you have to lose, the more you ought to be focused on making a difference, not just following instructions.

Tonic: How do we start making this change. Is it a complete leap of faith (risked resources, developing new skills, quitting job) or by adding a new hobby/passtime to routine?

Godin: It starts with turning off the TV and spending a lot of time getting really good at something, something you care about. It extends to doing things that might be criticized, to making connections, to giving digital gifts that don't cost you cash. The fear that holds you back can be dressed up with all sorts of justifications, but this really comes down to a decision.

Tonic: Being true to one's inner artist feels very bohemian. Are you a hippie at heart?

Godin: I have no idea what bohemian means, or hippie. I'd like to think that I'm lucky to be a human being at work, that I don't have to pretend to follow some anonymous person's rule book or do things I'm not proud of. That's a great gig, one that I wish everyone could have.

Tonic: Was there a moment of clarity that made you take the stand to write this book and put your heart and philosophy on the line? How does this book differ from your previous work?

Godin: I think this book is an extension of what I've been saying all along, but I've tried to be riskier, more vivid and a lot more personal. It turns out the last hundred years were an aberration and we've been just itching to get back to this. The question on the table is: Do you care enough to undo the brainwashing and to actually do work that matters? Or, are you going to claim you don't have the skills or the luck or the connections? Cause I don't buy that.

Tonic: You talk about a moment of crisis in our culture today. Can you explain?

Godin: Every revolution creates losers before it benefits the winners. Clay Shirky has pointed out that we're in the middle of a big one right now, and he's right. If it can be made cheap, you can bet someone other than you is doing it. But if it, whatever it is, can be made magical, it could be made by you.

Tonic: Where do you think we're headed, in terms of business/economic shifts?

Godin: I think the great recession sort of masked a bigger shift, the death of mass manufacturing and advertising and retailing, as it gets replaced by an internet long tail culture. That's going to change things for a generation.

Tonic: Who are examples of entrepreneurs and artists embracing your philosophy, doing it right?

Godin: If you've heard of them, they're doing it. Shepard Fairey and people on Etsy. Biz Stone and Ev Williams at Twitter. Yo Yo Ma. Eve Ensler. Ursula Burns. Jacqueline Novogratz.

No one does it right forever, but doing it is more than half the battle. Art isn't perfect or reliable, but it works.

Photo of Seth Godin courtesy of Jossi via Wikimedia Commons.