Laughing at You Behind Your Back
Seth Godin’s May 25, 2026 post argues that bold, generous, and creative leadership inevitably draws skeptics and criticism. He suggests that if you’re not hearing dissent, you may be holding back on risk‑taking or innovation. The piece frames criticism as a natural by‑product of influential leadership rather than a sign of failure. Godin urges leaders to embrace the backlash as evidence they’re pushing boundaries.
The Airplane Oath
Seth Godin’s essay uses a near‑fatal plane incident to illustrate how a stark moment can inspire a personal oath to change careers. He recounts his friend Ty’s decision to quit a family‑pleasing job and pursue work that matters after surviving...
Early Rejections
Seth Godin’s brief essay frames early rejections as a vital signpost rather than a dead end. He argues that, in hindsight, each “no” proves perseverance was worthwhile and fuels the next creative push. While painful at the moment, rejections are...
The Shared Tragedy of Red Queen Hiring
The article warns that many firms have fallen into a "Red Queen" hiring race, flooding job postings with thousands of applications and subjecting candidates to lengthy, multi‑round interview processes often aided by AI. While a typical executive hire now costs...
Empathy Is Difficult
Seth Godin’s latest post reminds leaders that empathy is a skill, not an afterthought. He argues that genuine empathy requires deliberate practice, can be taught, and delivers measurable business value. When organizations treat empathy as a side‑effect, they dilute its...
The Narrow Window of Redemption
The article repurposes the childhood five‑second rule as a metaphor for rapid error correction in innovation. It argues that small, fixable mistakes should be addressed immediately rather than ignored, because lingering errors stall progress. By treating brief windows of redemption...
Kinds of Fast
The piece explores multiple definitions of "fast" in professional settings, from the raw speed of a drag racer to the sustained endurance of a marathon runner, and extends the metaphor to teams, craftsmen, iterators, and followers. Each type of speed...
Your Work Diary
Seth Godin proposes a simple five‑item work diary to be completed each day: a leadership act, a thank‑you note, a curiosity moment, a new skill, and an empathy‑building interaction. He suggests that maintaining this habit for 200 consecutive workdays can...
Trained Equanimity and a Bias Toward Action
Seth Godin’s essay reframes equanimity and a bias toward action as a combined operating system for professionals. He argues that staying calm while deliberately acting turns optimism into measurable progress. The piece urges readers to focus on the present, avoid...
Just Like Me, But…
Seth Godin’s May 3, 2026 post questions the common refrain “just like me, but talented.” He argues that attributing success to innate talent lets people avoid responsibility, while framing it as “just like me, but dedicated” opens a path to purposeful effort....
One Thing at a Time
In his April 30, 2026 post, Seth Godin argues that multitasking is largely an illusion, describing it as a constant slicing of focus that forces us to jump between tasks. This fragmented attention, he explains, diminishes productivity and erodes mental...
Bad Money…
The piece applies Gresham’s Law to digital platforms, arguing that low‑quality or counterfeit content crowds out valuable material. It uses Substack as a case study, noting its early high signal‑to‑noise ratio that attracted readers, but now suffers from mass‑imported email...
Courage Vs. Excuses
The piece argues that "AI" has become a convenient excuse for short‑term cost cuts, while true courage means embracing risk and purpose‑driven work. It highlights open‑source development as a concrete example of courageous strategy that builds resilience and stronger user...
Consumers Outnumber Producers
The article argues that consumer‑driven technology repeatedly reshapes professional fields. From desktop publishing to digital photography, medicine, and copywriting, new tools initially degrade quality but eventually create fresh opportunities for specialists. Market demand for accessibility outweighs traditional expertise, forcing producers...
The Banal Djinni
Seth Godin’s latest post, “The banal djinni,” warns that today’s flood of powerful technologies often ends up serving trivial needs. He likens new tech to a genie granting wishes, but notes many organizations squander its potential on simple chores. Godin...