the uncomfortable truth about the future of work

I recently returned to the book ‘Are You Essential?’ by Seth Godin. In it he talks about how to stand out in today’s working world. And although it is from 2010, fourteen years old, its ideas seem even more relevant today than at the time it was published.

Automation, AI, and continued economic uncertainty have accelerated the transformation that Godin anticipated: it is no longer enough to be competent and follow instructions.

The main premise is simple but powerful: in a world where the routine can be automated or outsourced, the real value is in doing what machines cannot do (at least for the moment). Innovate, connect ideas in non-obvious ways, solve complex problems that require human judgment.

How does this translate into practice? These are the key principles that any professional should value, based on Godin’s ideas and their contrast with today’s reality:

1. We have to stop thinking in terms of “job description”. The most valuable roles in a company today are the ones that people can define and expand for themselves. Not waiting for someone to tell them what to do, just identifying the problems that no one is solving and starting to solve them.
2. Cultivating our “genius”. It’s a term Godin uses to talk about the unique intersection between our skills, our experiences, and our perspectives. The key is not to be the best at something specific, but to develop a unique combination of skills that makes us difficult to replace.
3. Overcoming resistance. Understanding “resistance” as the internal dialogue that anchors us to where we are. Security is not about doing the minimum necessary, but about taking calculated risks and constantly learning.
4. Facilitates connections. In a hyper-specialized world, those who can build bridges between disciplines, departments and organizations gain value.

Godin goes beyond this to touch on something deeper: the need to see our work as an art. Even if we don’t write or paint. It is simply enough to have the ability to bring creativity and humanity to any task.

The irony is that becoming indispensable requires doing things that at first seem expendable, such as experimenting with new approaches, questioning already established processes, or proposing ideas that may fail. But in that unexplored territory is where the opportunity to create something unique lies.

Nevertheless, There is an aspect that Godin does not emphasize enough: the need for balance. Being essential cannot mean always working except when we are sleeping, or sacrificing our well-being and our life beyond work. In fact, exhaustion is the enemy of creativity and lucidity.

These are ideas that sound idealistic, but they are very practical. The only real security comes from our ability to create value in unexpected ways. Being irreplaceable is impossible, but we can aspire to be so valuable that we are the last option that someone considers sacrificing.

Featured image | Xataka with Mockuuups Studio

In Xataka | The work muscle: the theory that explains why you should look for problems in your professional career