On Being a Linchpin

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2011/11/29/seth-godins-linchpin-theory-sound-advice-or-career-suicide/

When I came across this topic on Forbes.com, I had no idea what a linchpin was - but the phrase "Career Suicide" immediately following caught my attention. A linchpin is a person who attempts to make himself or herself indispensable to the business. In theory, it sounds as though a linchpin has the greatest job security - until the employer realizes how much he or she relies on that employee.

A linchpin is the antithesis of American enterprise. Today's economy thrives on specialization and independence: if a company relies solely on the knowledge and productivity of one employee, the whole business may find itself lagging in this raging economy. Furthermore, as stated by Mike Myatt in the attached article, nobody is indispensible. No matter how highly specialized your job is, another person can be trained to do the job you do now. With the advent of the internet, information of any sort is not hard to find.

What do you think about the linchpin theory? Do you agree or disagree with Mr. Myatt's statement that nobody is indispensible? Assuming that anyone can do any job, what reasons can be found to specialize in anything? Share your comments!