Linchpin will make you a better employee. Seth Godin is a fun writer to read, but even more so he illuminates the current employment situation in the world. Globalization and the Internet have changed the name of the game. It is no longer a game of management and labor. The name of the game is management, labor, and linchpins. The linchpins are the people that cannot be replaced easily and are integral to the continued existence of the company. You want to be a linchpin, it is a better way of living and working than anything else that came before. Becoming a linchpin requires creativity, enthusiasm, and effective actions.

Creativity is the important quality that can make you indispensible to any organization. The ability to solve the problems of the business with whatever resources you have available makes you crucial to any boss. You will become the last person on the chopping block whenever a round of firings pops up. You cannot just go to work, put in your eight hours and the bare minimum level of work to keep your job anymore. If you do this, you will be outsourced or automated.

Art is the name of the game. Understand the rules, but get the job done. You will be afraid of being creative at your job, because it is risky and goes against everything that you have done before. Persevere, and do not let the fear stop you, because the risks are worth it. If your business doesn’t like your actions, you are merely a cog in a machine and probably in the wrong job anyway. If you are allowed to be creative at your job, you will not only be indispensible but enthusiastic about your employment.

Enthusiasm is a gift you give the world. Let’s face it, your time is more valuable than the wage you are making. You need to make the exchange worth it. To do this is to treat your existence and your work as a gift to the world. Give away your skills and your creativity and your work. Be enthusiastic as hell about your job, and it will seep through to all aspects of your life. You will be happier, you will enjoy the work, and you will create more value for the world. This value will return to you in spades. Be the janitor of NASA that thinks he is building rocket ships, rather than cleaning toilets.

If you are enthusiastic and find your duties to be integral to the accomplishments of your business, they will be. Everyone in this country claims to hate their jobs, you don’t have to. In fact, you can learn to love your job if you are enthusiastic and indispensible. However, your energy should not be thrown indiscriminately at problems, you need to be effective.

Effective action will not only make you vital to your business but also make your life much easier. Don’t do anything that is unnecessary to your job functions or the success of your company. You must have a great vision to truly be effective. Yet there is no map, your actions will be up to you. You need to plan and do things for yourself, and make decisions. Do not be afraid to do this for action is always better than inaction. Look at all sides of the equation, and use this strategy to your advantage.

“A brilliant negotiator does her art by understanding the other side as honestly as anyone can. Only by seeing the world through clear eyes can she possibly craft a negotiation strategy that works for everyone (p. 184.)”

Stop trying to fit in, stop trying to just get by in your job. If this is your mindset you will lose your job quicker than any action and failure will allow. Throw off the collar given to you by your boss, and make yourself an equal partner in your work. You will be happier, more effective, and passionate than you have ever been before. Seth Godin teaches the skills of becoming a linchpin and this book is a must read for any young professional, or mid-career professional who is looking around and seeing a world they don’t recognize. Become the artist that changes your world and the work that you do. Become a linchpin or let the wheels fall off the wagon.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a book that tries to answer the big questions of life. It is shocking to find such a profound and moving book that has been written so recently, but this book delivers. The main question is the definition of “quality”, which Pirsig ultimately finds indefinable. The book follows the narrator and his son on a seventeen-day motorcycle trip, and the thoughts of the narrator while traveling cross-country. The book becomes a mosaic of the human condition in all of its forms. Logic, creativity, and soul are the lifeblood of the narrator’s worldview. With these he spends stretches of road and many stops thinking of the elusive idea of quality. What this book will teach you is the subtle ideas of quality, identity, and maintenance.

Quality, like pornography, is something you know when you see it, but you can’t easily define it. There are no rules; there are no guidelines to quality. The surest way to destroy quality is to try and quantify and define it. It is the most elusive value of this world that artists, scientists, and all others have been searching for all time.

Quality…. You know what it is, yet you don’t know what it is. But that’s self-contradictory. But some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality. But when you try to say what the quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! (p.231)

This book tackles the question of quality more thoroughly and forcefully than I could imagine sharing with you. Pirsig writes in a concise and simple way to illuminate his ideas. Do not confuse that for triviality, in fact this is the question of life. Every page of this book will have you on the precipice of “knowing,” feeling closer to the truth, but never quite reaching it. It will shake your identity to the core.

Identity is another topic tackled by Pirsig in this book. In fact, quality and identity are somewhat intertwined. Throughout the novel the narrator is confronted with an alter ego named Phaedrus, the man the narrator had been before electro-shock therapy. Phaedrus, a name Pirsig had misidentified as the Greek word for “wolf”, is the Greek word for brilliant or radiant. The misnomer actually is a better application than before. The identity of the narrator and Phaedrus are separate. The narrator wants to fit into society and not cause any problems. Phaedrus wants to question the truths, and actions of the day, he is willing to learn but not willing to obey for the sake of ease or obedience.

The main struggle of the book is for Phaedrus to reappear as the narrator. Allowing for the narrator to be “one person again.” This is a problem I find myself facing at certain times in my life. I enjoy people greatly, and want to participate in the world around me. However, I often find that I question the things people take for granted and see the world in a different light than most. I am often faced with the question of what type of person to be. I do not think I am alone in this predicament. What this book really does well is allowing the narrator and any reader to accept

themselves fully: the flaws and the brilliance being part of an undefined whole that must be appreciated, but maintained. (A worthy goal of any many or woman.)

Maintenance is the last idea that fully encapsulates life for Pirsig. Throughout the novel, the narrator talks about the simple ideas of motorcycle maintenance. This is mirrored by a companion biker at the beginning of the trip who refuses to do any work or maintenance on his bike. The companion is fully accepting of the motorcycle as is, day in day out, without worrying about the consequences of wear and tear. The narrator on the other hand, has taught himself the basics of self-care that will allow his motorcycle to run for as long as he owns it.

Although one can get a decent understanding of the mechanics and maintenance of a motorcycle from the narrator, the true purpose of this maintenance is the maintenance of the narrator himself. He finds the whole world interconnected and the motorcycle a reflection of himself. Therefore the continual checks and improvements allow him to keep going to down the road safely and efficiently, paying attention to the noises and changes that could cause a crash. This is a way of life that we should all try to embrace. I know I should. Being able to correct problems before they get out of hand, realizing that you are capable of fixing most of the problems in your life by yourself if only you stay aware, these are the prescriptions for a life filled with quality and dare I say Zen.

This book explores the deep reaches of the mind to understand quality, identity and maintenance. I cannot claim that everyone will have a transcendent experience while reading this book. But I do believe that everyone will start asking better questions after. I hope that others read this book, to realize their oneness with the world they create around them. I am optimistic that the more people that read this book, the more each will be willing to travel their own road, rather than one decided for them.

The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi, is a strategic masterpiece. Written by one of the greatest Japanese Samurai, who never lost a duel, this text examines a way of life with no second place. Success follows the readers and practitioners of this text. This is because of the simplicity of the many tenets. Remember, simplicity does not mean easy; these are not easy. Musashi wishes for all men and women to have a goal and attack it ceaselessly. One has to understand the harm and benefits that come from all actions. If one has a goal and way of life, one must not do anything useless. The Book of Five Rings strategy is ruthless, reflective, and concise.

“It is crucial to think of everything as an opportunity to kill (p.34.)” When you have a goal every step and choice you make should be intending to reach your goal. Defensive actions will cause you to lose. “Always be closing” is the name of the game. It is not a thinking game, because thinking about your next move will merely slow you down. Action is the only solace, and it is possible to achieve any goal with this in mind. Your opponent will not act like this; they will get defensive as long as you are consistent and offensive. Once the opponent backs down or tries to move away from the battle, you have won. There are many attack styles that Musashi employs in his strategy, but you’ll need to read the book to understand them. Musashi also pushed for reflective thought over all choices.

Before you begin a contest against an opponent, or challenge that you want to defeat, Musashi tells you to look for the harm and benefit of all of your choices. You must become the opponent. “ Becoming the opponent means you should put yourself in an opponent’s place and think from the opponent’s point of view (p.58)” Not all positions that look strong are strong from the perspective of those who hold them. Understanding the ways of men, you must completely destroy your enemy, because “As long as adversaries still have ambitions, they will hardly collapse (p.68.)” You must become “new” often.

Anytime you feel tension and friction building up between yourself and others, if you change your mind that very moment, you can prevail by the advantage of radical difference. This is “becoming new (p.69.)

The strategy of the Five Rings is concise, because you must not do anything that is useless. “The martial way of life practiced by warriors is based on excelling others in anything and everything (p. 6)” By practicing the art of the warrior, one gains a skill set that does not waste energy or act out of concert of the goal. “When you try to swing the long sword fast, you deviate from the Way of the long sword, and so it is hard to swing. The idea is to swing the sword calmly, so that it is easy to do (p.30.)” Actions become smooth and simple with clear goals. Your opponent will not always have this. “Whenever opponents try to attack you, let them go ahead and do anything that is useless, while preventing them from doing anything useful (p.54)” Unless you face a true warrior, you will not suffer much.

What people of the world ordinarily study when they practice martial arts is to parry, deflect, get away, and get through safely; therefore their minds are drawn by this method and wind up being maneuvered and manipulated by others (p.77.)

The strategy of the Five Rings is a set of rules that will create order and justice in your life. It is a textbook of success, but it is ruthless. It is a way of life that is hard to master, but continued practice will benefit you greatly. There are consequences to all actions, and every consequence has an answer. The way is neither minimalist or maximalist, it is a middle path that leads to harmony. This book is worth the read, and it short enough that you can attack it in an afternoon, but you will want to return to it constantly.

The only negative thing I can say about the book Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is that it hasn’t existed for years. The book is a monumental study of chaos and its effects on the world around us, with a focus on what makes certain actions or ideas less fragile – what features make some things incrementally more resistant to the ravages of time and nature.. Taleb, the author of The Black Swan, coins the term ‘antifragile’ to describe these resilience-bolstering features.

Antifragile lays out concepts that are both thought provoking and immediately useful.  Taleb lays out an intellectual framework both broad enough to change your worldview, and detailed enough to be readily applicable to specific situations. The key takeaways are that nature and time persistently erode and eventually subsume what man creates; that against this backdrop one should seek to identify small risks linked to large rewards; and that the linkage between tangibility and persistence can be described as the Lindy effect.

Nature and time are the ultimate promoters of chaos. They do it slowly but surely, like water eating away rock, but eventually everything created is taken back. Buildings will eventually crumble, roads will be taken over by foliage, and the manmade world will disappear into the jungle. This is not news, nor is it a reason to fret. We intrinsically know that nothing can last forever and eventually we will lose the things we think are ours. Nature has unleashed terrible disasters on the world that have shattered the egos of many men. “Not seeing a tsunami or an economic event is excusable; building something fragile to them is not (p. 136.)” You can’t control nature and time, nor beat them; nor project their future impacts with certainty. All you can know is that they exist and they will eventually create enough disorder to break anything that can be broken.

Antifragility is not about pessimism; instead it provides a framework for successful risk taking. Everywhere around us there are small risks that have potentially disproportionate rewards. Look for those, and take as many as you can stomach, and then some more. Most of them do not have to pay off for you to succeed; oftentimes it is just one or two. “Heads I win, tails I don’t lose so much,” should become your new risk taking mantra. Those are the antifragile bets. Conversely, fragile bets have the potential for ruin … you should avoid them.

Over and above the risk taking framework, the most important lesson I have taken from this book is the Lindy effect.  Stated simply, the Lindy Effect is that perishable items lose lifespan for every day they are alive, while non-perishable items gain lifespan each day they exist. For example, every day you are alive brings you one day closer to death. but an idea or a technology gains traction each day longer it exists.

Hence the power of old books. The longer they have survived in human consciousness, the longer their ideas and words will last. In this case, older actually

is better, categorically so. This is not to say that non-perishable items cannot be destroyed or forgotten, but the longer they survive, the better their chances of continuing to do so. Sorry, atheists, but it looks like the Bible, a book that has been impactful for almost 2000 years, should last another 2000 years, the Quran another 1400 years and the Illiad longer still. It implies that natural foods will last longer in the human condition than processed foods, horses will outlast cars, and cars will outlast airplanes.

There are many books that can bring wisdom, and the oldest ones are best. I hope this book gets a chance to last a lifetime and become one of the great books.  Read this book to change the way you look at the world and you may be amazed at what you see. And remember, the truth is the most antifragile concept of all, so live your life with truth in your heart, and you can survive any lie.

935 Lies is a book given to me by a close family friend. Ostensibly a book about the 935 lies that the Bush Administration told to the media in the buildup to the Iraq War, this book delves more into the ideas of truth and journalism than anything else. It shows how politicians and businesses can spin the facts to sound the drumbeats of war, long before anyone starts marching. It emphasizes the necessity of an empowered and responsible fourth estate, and the effects that information and the truth can have on the world. Most importantly the book delves into the direction the truth is following; as it pertains to journalism, the government, and business. This book is well researched and conclusive analyses of political double speak for decades. We would all do well to heed the warnings of this book, and establish within ourselves a thirst for the unvarnished truth.

Lies are a huge part of what we as humans hear on a daily basis. Whether this is from the media, politicians, advertisements, our parents, teachers, and even our own self-talk. If we accept lies so easily on the things that do not matter, how will we ever expect the truth on the things that do matter. Having the right information to make a choice is important because it allows for clarity and reason to take over. Rather than hiding behind the guise of emotions. This can be under such simple procedures as what politician you are voting for, whether those cigarettes are safe for you, or if someone really is “fine.” (They are never just fine.) Living in acceptance of disinformation, half-truths, and falsities leads to doubt in all facets of life. Once this doubt creeps in anything is possible, but the worst is likely.

“In war, truth is the first casualty,” Aeschylus wrote almost 2500 years ago, and it is a statement that is true to this day. The drumbeats of war are sounded well in advance of any action. Those men and women, who plan for such actions, know well in advance of their intentions. This was displayed most directly by the story of Lyndon B. Johnson and the Vietnam War in the book, and I highly recommend reading this book for those chapters alone. They create situations that foster confusion, speculation and fear. With this as a backdrop, any picture can be painted that the people will believe, until a fever pitch arises and welcomes war with open arms. Never realizing that they are welcoming death, destruction and ruin into the world.

Propaganda is an important government tool, that has spun the truth for millennia, but it has been perfected and expanded in the last century. Edward Bernays and other “Engineers of Consent” have created spectacles in the business and political world that the people have gluttonously gorged themselves with. There are more public relation specialists than journalists in this country at a rate of 4:1, p.170. With such astonishing numbers and economization of spin, it is no wonder that truth has fallen by the wayside.

This book also shows that all hope is not lost for the truth. Charles Lewis and other great journalists have continued the fight for truth. There are many great organizations that have not given up on the people. Wikileaks, the Sunlight Foundation, Transparency International, and more have helped the truth shake off

the shackles of deception and falsity. These great organizations give me hope for the future.

This book will show you more about propaganda, truth, and how the government and business world works; that you will never look at information the same. It has increased my thirst for truth, and honesty. I recommend that you read this book with an open mind. It does not matter if you are Republican or Democrat, Liberal or Conservative, you will finish this book with a profound understanding of the Truth Tellers and Everyone Else. You should be a Truth Teller, because time brings all truth to light.

I was lucky to have a friend lend me Geeks & Geezers to read, as this book tackles at a granular level the different leadership tactics of generational leaders in America. The main thrust of the book is leaders are defined by the era they grew up in. The “Geezers” studied were defined by the leadership of WWII, and this translated into many avenues of their lives. The “Geeks” on the other hand grew up in the fast paced Screen Age, where age is nothing but a number. Leadership is a product of many things; environment and pace of life being two important ones. The question I have to ask is, “What will my generation be known for?”

My main gripe with this book is that one can get a better understanding of the leadership journey by reading Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces, a book I have already discussed. But this book is an easier read, and has more relevant examples, so it should not be discounted.

The environment a future leader is raised in is important. However, Bennis and Thomas argue that it is not necessarily the home environment that is truly important but the environment of the society. What is happening in the world around the future leader? Where do they get their lessons from, who are their heros, what are their favorite books, is anything monumental happening in the world? These are the questions to ask, and you might be surprised with many of the answers.

Bennis and Thomas argue that one important trait that all types of leaders have is a desire to be constantly learning. Something this blog tries to promote as well. Once you stop learning, you can no longer be leading the pack. You will fail and not get back on track. While “Geezers” grew up during WWII, and learned how to obey orders and trust experience, “Geeks” grew up with computers and the Internet learning that age matters little, they must create or die. These are important distinctions and explain the generational gap quite well. The main difference between the environments is the pace of life.

“Geeks” grew up in a world that changed overnight into a freight train without brakes; “Geezers” grew up walking to school uphill both ways. As such more is possible for the “Geeks” than “Geezers” and their goals display this. Because “Geeks” have more time (because everything goes fast they can fit more in,) they are also more likely to desire a work-life balance than any “Geezer” before them. The best part is that many “Geeks” found this. “Geezers” grew up in a world that moved slowly but consistently forward, requiring them to look to heroes of the past to show them what was possible, “Geeks” have no such limitations or hero worship. What will my generation seek?

My generation has a chance to be the answer to the “Geezers & Geeks.” We have been given many lessons. The world has continued to increase in speed, gotten smaller with globalization, and marred by the thirst for national security in the wake of terror. We have seen a “Great Recession” and the rise of Social Media. We herald the genius, and mock the conformists. A time of great acceptance of individuality has arisen; will we squander it?

I hope my generation learns to unplug sometimes and enjoy the world beyond the screen. I hope the crucibles we have faced will show us the folly’s of fear, and give us strength to tackle all the problems we will face in our lives. We are closer now than ever before, but humanity has never seemed so distant. I hope we continue to learn, to read, and to challenge assumptions. We have grown up on the shoulders of giants, and we must ready ourselves for the next generation of leaders. What kind of world will we give them? The choice is ours, and the crucibles are looming. What do you want the world to look like?

“Is it better to be feared or loved?” is the question that comes to mind when you think  about The Prince, Machiavelli’s masterpiece on statecraft for princes and kings of all shapes and sizes. Although not in line with Machiavelli’s true political leanings (he always preferred a republic akin to Rome) this book nonetheless captures the challenges of statecraft and the mentalities of men cutthroat enough to lead a country.

Some have claimed this book is written as a satire, due to Machiavelli’s politics. Even if that were true, it was written well enough to have captured the attention of many power-thirsty and manipulative men and women of history. There is even a clinical psychiatric diagnosis of Machiavellianism, describing someone prone to manipulation of others and situations. This book is a short and quick read that delves wholeheartedly into the bloody and deceitful world of power. It should be recognized for its immense impact on political thinking.

In Machiavelli’s mind, being a successful leader takes many skills. The most important is the wisdom or intellect to foresee future problemsand resolve them before they fester.

So it is with a state: when ills are recognized in advance (and only the prudent can do this), they are quickly cured. But when having gone unrecognized, they are allowed to increase until everyone may recognize them, then remedy is no longer possible (p.22.)

More than this, a leader must be strong and sly. He must not let others stand in his way for anything. “Hence a prince ought to be a fox in recognizing snares and a lion in driving off wolves (p.68.)”  With these skills, a leader can outmaneuver anyone who stands in his way. Leaders must also be willing to go after what they want and they must actually achieve their goals or they can lose their power.

It is truly a natural and ordinary thing to desire gain; and when those who can succeed attempt it, they will always be praised and not blamed. But if they cannot succeed, yet try anyway, they are guilty of error and are blameworthy (p.23.)

Although we hope for our leaders to be good and honest men and women in their lives, Machiavelli argues that a leader cannot be so.  “Hence it is necessary that a prince who is interested in his survival learn to be other than good, making use of this capacity or refraining from it according to need (p.62.)” This can be used for the common good though, and the evil actions that a leader must use should be directed at those who challenge him or her. Evil should never be directed at the people one is leading. They are the life support of any leader, and the sole reason for his existence. “I will conclude by saying that only the good will of the people is vital to a prince; otherwise he will be helpless in times of adversity (p.45.)” Don’t worry about the

other power players but care about your team and people at all costs.

That said, when a leader takes power, he often faces tough decisions and hard choices. These decisions can be painful to those serving under him or her, so it is important to remember another famous maxim of Machiavelli. “Injuries must be committed all at once so that, being savored less, they will arouse less resentment. Benefits, on the other hand, should be bestowed little by little so as to be more fully savored (p.43.)” If you can do this, leadership becomes a breeze.

Yet it must be remembered that claiming and retaining power is challenging. It is the make or break moment for a leader. None of the stratagems and maxims mean anything without the right to rule or the ability to rule. A new leader faces unimaginable challenges, especially if  they are trying to change entire organizations or states.

It must be realized that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more uncertain of success, or more dangerous to manage than the establishment of a new order of government; for he who introduces it makes enemies of all those who derived advantage from the old order and finds but lukewarm defenders among those who stand to gain from the new one (p.31.)

Assuming that you succeed in gaining power, the trick is knowing how to wield it effectively, exploiting your enemies and keeping the populace happy and in debt to you. You cannot get weak or soft. You must be ever vigilant. As a leader you need to stay on your toes and always appear to be in control and executing plans. Without these attributes, you are doomed to fail. “For the mob is always impressed by appearances and by results; and the world is composed of the mob (p.70.)”

This book is a great read for anyone who wants to understand power. It will open your eyes to the ways leaders and tyrants think. I hope you do not use this book as a guide to live your life as there are enough evil men and women in the world. But recognize the lessons that can apply to any leader, and adapt them to your own life (ethically and morally.) Read this book to understand why politicians act the way they do. Read this book to see the frailties of man. Read this book to gain power.