The Infinite Game

by Simon Sinek

As human beings we are naturally inclined to seek out immediate solutions to uncomfortable problems and prioritize quick wins to advance our ambitions. We tend to see the world in terms of successes and failures, winners and losers. This default win-lose mode can sometimes work for the short term; however, as a strategy for how companies and organizations operate, it can have grave consequences over the longer term.

This impersonal and transactional approach to business seems to have accelerated in the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution and seems to be accelerating even more in our digital age.

With good leaders—great leaders—this vision can come to life. Great leaders are the ones who think beyond “short term” versus “long term.” They are the ones who know that it is not about the next quarter or the next election; it is about the next generation.

Finite games are played by known players. They have fixed rules. And there is an agreed-upon objective that, when reached, ends the game.

Infinite games, in contrast, are played by known and unknown players. There are no exact or agreed-upon rules. Though there may be conventions or laws that govern how the players conduct themselves, within those broad boundaries, the players can operate however they want. And if they choose to break with convention, they can. The manner in which each player chooses to play is entirely up to them. And they can change how they play the game at any time, for any reason.

The game of life

Infinite games have infinite time horizons. And because there is no finish line, no practical end to the game, there is no such thing as “winning” an

infinite game. In an infinite game, the primary objective is to keep playing,...

Professor James P. Carse, who penned a little treatise called Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life a...

we have to stop thinking about who wins or who’s the best and start thinking about how to build organizations that are strong enough and healthy enough to stay in the game for many generations to come.

Where a finite-minded player makes products they think they can sell to people, the infinite-minded player makes products that people want to buy. The former is primarily focused on how the sale of those products benefits the company; the latter is primarily focused on how the products benefit those who buy them.

finite-minded players do not like surprises and fear any kind of disruption. Things they cannot predict or cannot control could upset their plans and increase their chances of losing. The infinite-minded player, in contrast, expects surprises, even revels in them, and is prepared to be transformed by them. They embrace the freedom of play and are open to any possibility that keeps them in the game. Instead of looking for ways to react to what has already happened, they look for ways to do something new.

What i did with the gummies

What’s more, the inspiration, innovation, cooperation, brand loyalty and profits that result from infinite-minded leadership serve companies not just in times of stability but also in times of instability.

Some have argued that the Zune failed because Microsoft didn’t invest enough in advertising. But the theory doesn’t hold up. Spanx, Sriracha, and

GoPro are just three brands that relied solely on word of mouth to increase brand awareness.

look up videos on how this companies grew

How a company is led must also be considered. Prioritizing comparison and winning above all else, finite-minded leaders will set corporate strategy, product strategy, incentive structures and hiring decisions to help meet finite goals. And with a finite mindset firmly entrenched in almost all aspects of the organization, a sort of tunnel vision results. The result of which pushes almost everyone inside the company to place excessive focus on the urgent at the expense of the important. Executives instinctively start to respond to known factors instead of exploring or advancing unknown possibilities.

Imagine how different that press conference could have been if, instead of looking back at a balance sheet, Ballmer shared all the things Microsoft had done and could still do to advance Bill Gates’s original infinite vision: “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

A company that used to be a “lean competition machine led by young visionaries of unparalleled talent,” as Vanity Fair reported, “mutated into something bloated and bureaucracy-laden, with an internal culture that unintentionally rewards managers who strangle innovative ideas that might threaten the established order of things.” In other words, a finite mindset left the company culture a mess.

There are three factors we must always consider when deciding how we want to lead: We don’t get to choose whether a particular game is finite or infinite. We do get to choose whether or not we want join the game. Should we choose to join the game, we can choose whether we want to play with a finite or an infinite mindset.

Any leader who wants to adopt an infinite mindset must follow five essential practices: Advance a Just Cause Build Trusting Teams Study your Worthy Rivals Prepare for Existential Flexibility Demonstrate the Courage to Lead

When we play in a finite game, we play the game to win. Even if we hope to simply play well and enjoy the game, we do not play to lose. The motivation to play in an infinite game is completely different—the goal is not to win, but to keep playing. It is to advance something bigger than ourselves or our organizations.

A Just Cause is a specific vision of a future state that does not yet exist; a future state so appealing that people are willing to make sacrifices in order to help advance toward that vision.

In an organization that is only driven by the finite, we may like our jobs some days, but we will likely never love our jobs. If we work for an organization with a Just Cause, we may like our jobs some days, but we will always love our jobs.

And in order for a Just Cause to provide direction for our work, to inspire us to sacrifice, and to endure not just in the present but for lifetimes beyond our own, it must meet five standards.

For something—affirmative and optimistic Inclusive—open to all those who would like to contribute Service oriented—for the primary benefit of others Resilient—able to endure political, technological and cultural change Idealistic—big, bold and ultimately unachievable

For employees, this is what we mean when we say, “Hire for culture and you

can always teach the skills later.” For customers and investors, this the root of love and loyalty for the organization itself.

build a team around cause not around talent

Their stated mission is “to inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.” Real food, as Sweetgreen defines it, means ingredients from local sources that support local farms. Which is why their stores have different menus depending on which part of the country they are in. Though many of us may buy their salads just because we like their salads, those who are devoted to locally sourced food and want to support local farms will be drawn to work for and become the most loyal supporters of Sweetgreen. They will make sacrifices, like going out of their way or paying a premium, to buy from Sweetgreen. Supporting the company in some shape or form is one of the things they do to feel that they are advancing their own values and beliefs, their own vision of a better world. They feel included in the Cause.

mention to haeppy candy

The most loyal customers feel the company genuinely cares about their wants, needs and desires . . . because the company really does. And in return, this is why loyal customers go out of their way or pay a premium to buy from that company over another and encourage their friends to do the same.

how do we get HC customers to feel this way?

If we articulate our Cause in terms of our products, then our organization’s entire existence is conditional on the relevance of those products. Any new technology could render our products, our Cause and indeed our entire company obsolete overnight.

look at the examples below.

our Cause must be durable, resilient and timeless.

what is my cause? what is häppy candy's cause. ask this question to people

It is important to celebrate our victories, but we cannot linger on them.

never get complacent. have a day 1 mentality

The clearer the words of the Just Cause, the more likely they will attract and invite the innovators and early adopters, those willing to take the first risks to advance something that exists almost entirely in their imaginations. With each success, a little more of the iceberg is revealed to others; the vision becomes more visible to others. And when others can see a vision become something real, skeptics become believers and even more people feel inspired by the possibility and willingly commit their time and energy, ideas and talents to help advance the Cause further.

this stress the importance of knowing what you stand for and to makw you your customers know so they cab support you from day one

A true Just Cause is deeply personal to those who hear it, and it must be deeply personal to those who espouse it. The more personal it is for people, the more likely our passions will be stoked to help advance it.

a big, hairy, audacious goal.

BHAG

Racking up finite wins does not lead to something more infinite.

A Just Cause should direct the business model, not the other way around.

look at tge few sentence for more context. ask maxi what our cause? as well as the reset of the team

Infinite-minded leaders understand that “best” is not a permanent state. Instead, they strive to be “better.” “Better” suggests a journey of constant improvement and makes us feel like we are being invited to contribute our talents and energies to make progress in that journey. “Better,” in the Infinite Game, is better than “best.”

strive to all ways be better not best

Especially in the start-up world, the drive for billion-dollar valuations is not an indicator of a healthy company that is built to last. It is a standard that has evolved thanks to the venture capital industry (because valuations are how they make their money). A strong culture and the ability to fund its own existence (also known as profitability) is how a company actually stays in the game for the long term.

dont focus on unicorn status!!!

It’s a strange quirk of human nature. The order in which a person presents information more often than not reveals their actual priorities and the focus of their strategies.

The problem isn’t how skilled an executive is when they take over as CEO. The problem is whether they have the right mindset for the job they are given.

mindset trumps skills

The Wealth of Nations,

add to book backlog

As Henry Ford said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business.”

The art of good leadership is the ability to look beyond the growth plan and the willingness to act prudently when something is not ready or not right, even if it means slowing things down.

“A Sense of Purpose.”

look this up

The responsibility of business is to use its will and resources to advance a cause greater than itself, protect the people and places in which it operates and generate more resources so that it can continue doing all those things for as long as possible. An organization can do whatever it likes to build its business so long as it is responsible for the consequences of its actions.

We are all entitled to feel psychologically protected at work, be fairly compensated for our effort and contribute to something bigger than ourselves.

“How do I create an environment in which my people can work to their natural best?”

look at the pervious few sentences for more context. this was a huge issue at amazon and i will not let this repeat in my life or any business i work with

The bias doesn’t even need to be extreme. Danny Meyer, the famed restaurateur and founder of Shake Shack, shared his bias when he said his business is 49 percent technical and 51 percent emotional (the restaurateur’s take on will and resources).

The difference between an organization where people are extrinsically rewarded to give their all and one where people are intrinsically motivated to do so is the difference between an organization filled with mercenaries versus one filled with zealots.

In other words, to build high-performing teams, trust comes before the performance.

trust fosters growth