The Infinite Game

by Simon Sinek

No matter how successful we are in life, when we die, none of us will be declared the winner of life.

The true value of an organization is measured by the desire others have to contribute to that organization’s ability to keep succeeding, not just during the time they are there, but well beyond their own tenure.

infinite-minded leader works to ensure that their employees, customers and shareholders remain inspired to continue contributing with their effort, their wallets and their investments.

Just because a company is big and has enjoyed financial success does not mean it is strong enough to last.

Consistency becomes more important than intensity. The problem is, no one knows exactly when we will see results. In fact, different people will show results at different times. But without question, 100 percent, we all know it will work.

“The outcome is uncertain. . . . But still, I want to try.”

The reality is, EVERYONE is passionate about something, but we aren’t all passionate about the same thing.

“Hire for culture and you can always teach the skills later.”

Indeed, leaping from goal to goal can be fun for a while, but if that’s all there is, over time the thrill of each achievement becomes less, well, thrilling.

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.

“How do I get the most out of my people?” This is a flawed question, however. It’s not a question about how to help our people grow stronger, it’s about extracting more output from them. People are not like wet towels to be wrung out. They are not objects from which we can squeeze every last drop of performance.

A better question to ask is, “How do I create an environment in which my people can work to their natural best?”

Leaders will work to create these environments when we train them how to prioritize their people over the results. And this is the true definition of what it means to lead. There is absolutely zero cost for a manager to take time to walk the halls and ask their people how they are doing . . . and actually care about the answers.

Time is always the great revealer of truth.

Our goal, as leaders, is to ensure that our people have the skills—technical skills, human skills or leadership skills—so that they are equipped to work to their natural best and be a valuable asset to the team.

Nothing and no one can perform at 100 percent forever. If we cannot be honest with one another and rely on one another for help during the challenging parts of the journey, we won’t get very far.

consistency over intensity.

If someone who works in customer service is highly stressed at work, it increases the likelihood that they will provide a poor customer service experience. How they feel affects how they do their job.

One of the primary jobs of any leader is to make new leaders.

leaders are not responsible for the results, leaders are responsible for the people who are responsible for the results. And the best way to drive performance in an organization is to create an environment in which information can flow freely, mistakes can be highlighted and help can be offered and received. In short, an environment in which people feel safe among their own. This is the responsibility of a leader.

When leaders are willing to prioritize trust over performance, performance almost always follows. However, when leaders have laser-focus on performance above all else, the culture inevitably suffers.

Acting unethically, getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar, refusing to accept responsibility for your behavior and then pointing to systemic abuses that made you do those things does not make you Joan of Arc.

In the Infinite Game we accept that “being the best” is a fool’s errand and that multiple players can do well at the same time.

Existential Flexibility is the capacity to initiate an extreme disruption to a business model or strategic course in order to more effectively advance a Just Cause. It is an infinite-minded player’s appreciation for the unpredictable that allows them to make these kinds of changes.

“When you’re talking to a bunch of corporate guys about 18 to 20 years in the future, when none of those guys will still be in the company, they don’t get too excited about it,”

“We needed to create an environment that cared for them! Where they were recognized and appreciated for their great work; where their leaders cared about them; and where they went home at the end of the day feeling fulfilled.

trust is not built by pressure or force, trust is built by acting in a way consistent with one’s values, especially when it’s least expected. Trust is built when we do the right thing, especially when we aren’t forced to.

“We need to care for our team so that they can care for our customers,”

Integrity does not just mean “doing the right thing.” Integrity means acting before the public outcry or scandal. When leaders know about something that is unethical and only act after the outcry, that’s not integrity. That’s damage control.

Playing the Infinite Game is not a checklist, it’s a mindset.