The Infinite Game

by Simon Sinek

deep-seated human need to feel safe, to contribute to something bigger than ourselves and to provide for ourselves and our families.

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 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, to perpetuate the game.

succeed in the Infinite Game of business, 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.

company built for resilience is a company that is structured to last forever.

We do not think in quarters,” he says. “We think in generations.”

When we play with a finite mindset in an infinite game, the odds increase that we will find ourselves in a quagmire, racing through the will and resources we need to keep playing.

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.

Only when we can imagine in our mind’s eye the exact version of the world an organization or leader hopes to advance toward will we know to which organization or to which leader we want to commit our energies and ourselves.

What is the infinite and lasting vision that a moon shot will help advance?

vision or mission statements act like compasses. They guide our direction.

The reason to grow is so that we have more fuel to advance the Cause.

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.

Offer people a sense of belonging and a feeling that their lives and their work have value beyond the physical work.

to advance a purpose, protect people and generate a profit—seem

company must provide for the protection of its people by building a culture in which employees feel psychologically safe and feel like their employer cares about them as human

value of strong will over resources simply cannot be underestimated.

Investing in human beings goes beyond paying them well and offering them a great place to work. It also means treating them like human beings.

For the feeling of trust to develop,

we have to feel safe expressing ourselves first.

To deny the connection between feelings and performance is a finite-minded way of looking at leadership.

The most anxiety-inducing place to be is alone—where

the objective is to keep your will and resources strong while working to frustrate the will and exhaust the resources of the other players.