If there has ever been a time to blaze your own path, take
risks, and change the way we think, now is the time. In Linchpin: Are you
Indispensable? Seth Godin inspires his readers to pursue their passions
wholeheartedly. He asserts
that this passion is not simply an option, but a requirement for success in a
changing society. The former model of being trained to simply do a job is
obsolete. Professionals as well as nonprofessionals are being called to solve
unique problems. As dentists, we must not only be manually and intellectually
adept, but also serve as team builders, community leaders, and more. The way I see it, the nature of the profession demands that we become linchpins.
A linchpin is a pin placed through an axle that keeps the
wheel in position while it rotates. Godin defines a linchpin as one who
successfully combines passion with art. Great organizations and ideas arise
from these types of people. Through historical anecdotes of his own life, artists
and corporate leaders, Godin illustrates that we are all artists with gifts to
share; and to not share them would be a disservice to society.
He describes art as, “the ability to change people
with your work, to see things as they are and create stories, images, and
interactions that change the marketplace.” We already see this in dentistry
today where dentists are challenged to provide care in the face of barriers such
as anxiety, or costs. The innovation and evolution of sedation
dentistry has changed the marketplace and brought care to those who may have
been emotionally out of our profession's reach before . Moreover, dentists in Michigan are
demonstrating linchpin qualities in reaching the underserved. They‘ve created a
system where community service can be done in exchange for dental care. Dental
related ER visits are down and patients who previously could not afford dental
care, now have dental homes.
All health
professionals are required to do the “emotional work” that is one of the tenets
of Godin’s linchpin. Godin rejects the idea of scripted courtesies and calls
for genuine compassion in our interactions. He explains how JetBlue built their
brand not by training attendants to be friendly, but by seeking out individuals
with the qualities they wanted and encouraging them to make connections with
customers. “ The act of giving someone a
smile, of connecting to a human, of taking initiative, of being surprising, of
being creative, of putting on a show…we do for free all our lives.” These
“emotional gifts” as Godin puts it, are essential to creating value in our
interactions.
Linchpins
are those who have conquered the “lizard brain”. This lizard brain, better known as the
amygdala plays a key role in anger, arousal, hunger and fear. Virtually all dental
students can relate to the excited anxiety
of our first operative procedure. Imagine the fear of failure in starting your
own practice. We are wired to resist; but with some effort, we can be rewired. The
first step is the decision not to feed your anxiety. Godin explains how simply
acknowledging it, but not rationalizing the feeling eventually leads to its
dissipation. Realize anxiety is
practicing failure in advance, it doesn’t protect us or help accomplish but
rather inhibits progress. Banish procrastination, as this is the lizard brain
keeping us stuck. Develop a “posture of challenging the resistance”; good
habits can be fashioned just the same as we fall into bad ones. Conquering the
resistance comes back to believing in your cause, “When you set down the path
to create art...the path is neither short nor easy. That means you must
determine if the route is worth the effort. If it’s not, dream bigger.”
Most
importantly, Godin reaffirms us that, “All of these attributes are choices, not
talents, and all of them are available to you.” As future health care
professionals we have the incredible opportunity to create valuable change in
those around us. Linchpin encourages its readers to view your art as a
gift; to be generous, bold,
and creative. Health
care is changing, and “Our passion for contribution and possibility, the
passion we’ve drowned out in school and in the corporate world – that’s the
only way.”
