Godin argues that only two things should be taught in school:
1. How to solve problems.
2. How to lead. [source]
I tend to agree with him. Learning facts does not set you apart in today's information driven culture. It's what you do with what you know and how you can lead others to use what you know that is important.
Employers are looking for problem solvers and leaders.
Now to figure out how to actually teach these two skills effectively...
I personally think the best teachers in my life have been the ones that inspire me to learn for myself and show me how to do that. I have not only enjoyed their classes the most but also feel I learned more from them than other teachers.
ReplyDeleteLeadership is a very hard thing to teach. Does Godin go into details as to how leadership can be taught?
@Michael. Yes, I agree with you. My favorite teachers did much more than teach me facts.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, Godin doesn't go into any detail about how this should be done. Linchpin isn't a educational book, it's more of a personal branding/motivational book.
The overall premise of the book is that individuals should seek to be innovators and leader not simply punch the clock. Good read.
Thanks for blogging this. I started reading it quite awhile ago but I never finished it. I'd been readin git on my wife's Kindle, but she was always using it, so I didn't get much reading in. Now I guess I can read it on my iPad.
ReplyDeleteWhat I read was good though. It's hard in a school to truly be a linchpin though. The administration doesn't really like to see individual teachers as irreplaceable.