477: Why Work is No Longer Working and What Do To About It with Seth Godin

Today is a real treat for me (and for you), as I get to welcome—for the third time—the person I consider to be one of the world’s greatest thinkers and authors. He’s certainly had a huge impact on me and my life.

seth godin

That thinker and author is the one and only Seth Godin. He’s written his twenty-first book, and today is the day we get to welcome it to the world.

It’s called The Song Of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams.

Seth argues that real value at work is no longer measured by easy indicators of industrial productivity, but by effective personal interactions, innovation, creative solutions, and resilience. In a world ruled by remote work and artificial intelligence, leaders must disentangle themselves from the pervasive industrialized management system created in the early twentieth century and adopt a new leadership style that places humans at the forefront.

The futility of commanding people to care and managing for short-term results has become clear to
everyone. Instead, leaders must aspire to create the best jobs their employees have ever had while
creating conditions for systemic change. The emotional labor of employees who truly participate in an organization’s mission is the competitive advantage that all businesses need and what the exceptional ones produce.

In The Song of Significance, Seth provides a roadmap for the business leaders who are willing to
create a meaningful future while bravely rejecting the outmoded management models that are no longer serving us. As he writes, “Choosing significance is to dance with fear, and choosing fear
requires belief that what we’re doing matters.”

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Seth and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

Join in on our chat below

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In today’s episode, I ask Seth about:

  • What making significant work looks like and why it matters
  • Why soft skills, that get too little respect, are far more valuable than vocational skills
  • How meetings, in our predominant meeting culture, might look different in a significant organization
  • And lots more!

Order Seth’s Book

You can order your copy of The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams right now!

Consider Ordering My Book Too!

Purchase a copy of my new book (written with Jesse Wisnewski) Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. There, you can also download the introduction and first chapter for free!

Note-Making Mastery Cohort or the Read to Lead Community

Get notified when I open up my next Note-Making Mastery Cohort for registration (space is limited)! Conversely, try ReadtoLead+ free for thirty days.

Seth in Action

Check Out These Additional Resources

Grab a copy of Seth’s book now.

Find out more about Seth at his website.

Query Seth’s entire library of writing using AI.

Connect with Seth personally on LinkedIn.

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Finally, thanks for listening and remember, “Leaders read and readers lead.”