Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
(Day 2)
The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe
You have an idea that could genuinely help your team, your company, or even your industry—but you keep it locked away.
What if it doesn’t work? What if people think it’s stupid?
We’ve all been there.
You’re sitting in yet another meeting where the same problems get discussed with the same tired solutions. Your mind starts wandering to that idea you’ve been nurturing—the one that could actually move the needle.
Your pulse quickens slightly. You lean forward, ready to speak.
Then the voice kicks in: Who are you to suggest this? What if they shoot it down? What if you look foolish in front of everyone? So you lean back, stay quiet, and watch another opportunity slip away. The meeting ends with no real progress, but hey, at least you didn’t embarrass yourself, right? Here’s what we don’t realize in those moments of self-censorship:
Our silence has a price tag.
Every unexpressed idea, every suggestion we swallow, every creative impulse we suppress doesn’t just disappear—it calcifies into regret.
Meanwhile, the problems we could have solved continue to drain energy, waste resources, and frustrate everyone involved.
Here’s our internal saboteur: the “lizard brain.” This ancient part of our neural wiring exists solely to keep us alive by helping us blend in with the tribe. Thousands of years ago, standing out could mean being cast out, which often meant death.
So our brains evolved to whisper:
Don’t rock the boat.
Don’t draw attention.
Don’t take risks.
But in today’s world, this survival mechanism has become a career killer. The lizard brain that once protected us now holds us hostage, convincing us that safety lies in invisibility. It tells us that mediocrity is safer than excellence, that following is easier than leading, and that silence is wiser than speaking up.
(Linchpin: Are Your Indispensable by Seth Godin)
The Linchpin’s Secret Weapon: Controlled Courage
The most successful people aren’t fearless—they’re scared like everyone else. The difference is what they do with that fear. While most people let fear make their decisions, linchpins use fear as information. They feel the anxiety and ship their ideas anyway.
The strategy is called “making a ruckus”—the art of creating positive disruption that challenges the status quo. It’s not about being loud or obnoxious; it’s about being brave enough to offer something valuable that others are too afraid to share.
Why Your Ruckus Matters More Than Ever
In our hyperconnected, rapidly changing world, organizations desperately need people who can think differently, spot opportunities, and propose solutions.
The companies that thrive are those that encourage creative disruption from within. They don’t just tolerate ruckus-makers—they promote them.
Yet many of us continue to play by obsolete rules, treating our jobs like factory positions where conformity equals security.
We’ve forgotten that in the modern economy, the biggest risk isn’t failure—it’s invisibility.
(Day 2) Micro-Coaching Moment
The Ruckus Framework
You identified an idea yesterday, but now you’re staring at it wondering: “How do I actually turn this into something real?”
The Scenario You’ve got the idea—maybe it’s a process improvement, a creative solution, or a way to help your team work better. It feels important, even exciting. But between the spark of inspiration and actually sharing it lies a canyon of uncertainty.
How do you present it without sounding unprepared? What if you haven’t thought through every angle? What if there’s an obvious flaw you’re missing? You find yourself in analysis paralysis, perfecting an idea that never sees daylight because it’s never “ready enough.”
What if the goal isn’t to have a perfect idea, but to start a valuable conversation?
Consider this: linchpins don’t wait for certainty—they embrace “good enough to ship.” The magic isn’t in having flawless solutions; it’s in offering thoughtful contributions that move discussions forward. Your job isn’t to solve everything; it’s to add something useful to the mix.
Ask yourself: What would need to be true for me to feel confident sharing this idea? Am I waiting for perfection, or am I genuinely not ready? What’s the smallest version of this idea that could spark productive dialogue?
Try this: Use the “Ruckus Framework” to prepare your idea for sharing:
The Problem: What specific challenge does this address? (One sentence)
The Spark: What’s your core insight or approach? (Two sentences max)
The First Step: What’s one concrete thing that could be tried? (Be specific)
The Question: What input do you need from others to strengthen this?
Level up: Present your idea as an experiment, not a mandate. Use language like “What if we tried...” or “I’m curious whether...” This invites collaboration rather than triggering defensive responses.
The Psychology Behind This
In Linchpin, Godin explains that we often confuse “shipping” with “being right.” But the most valuable ideas rarely arrive fully formed—they emerge through iteration and collective refinement.
When you share an 80% idea and ask for input, you’re not showing weakness; you’re demonstrating the kind of collaborative leadership that builds better solutions.
The framework removes the pressure to be perfect and replaces it with the intention to be helpful. It transforms you from someone seeking approval to someone offering value.
Your turn: Take the idea you identified yesterday and run it through the Ruckus Framework. Write it down in four simple parts, then share it with one person this week—a colleague, your manager, or even just a trusted friend. The goal isn’t to get a “yes”—it’s to start a conversation that didn’t exist before.
Remember: The world already has enough silent experts.
What it needs are more people brave enough to share works-in-progress that could become breakthroughs.
Coming Up Next:
“Don’t Just Do Your Job—Make It Art”