TEB Book Review: The Infinite Game by Simon Sink

A few year’s ago I listened to the How I Built This Podcast and learned about the corporate culture of Patagonia. The founder desired to create and run a company that will be around for 100 years. The company makes strategic decisions with that vision in mind. They definitely are playing THE INFINITE GAME.

Did you ever play the game where you were blind-folded and your team had to talk you through an obstacle course or around a room? I remember playing that as a kid and I also remember how frustrating it was to be the one that was blind-folded. Especially when you take the blind-fold off an see how simple it was to achieve the objective. But perspective is like that and sometimes we read something that mentally feels like a blind-fold has been taken off, and we are seeing our world with a new and better perspective.

That was what I felt like as I listened to The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. The book, from a world famous, best selling author sheds a spotlight on what it is like to be part of something that is greater than ourselves. Of course, I see this work through an entrepreneurial viewpoint, but this is applicable to every human alive. We all want to be part of something meaningful and important; and only the most arrogant will say that type of meaning and importance can be found within oneself. I highly encourage that you read or listen to this book, and here are the top 4 things that I learned:

1. The finite mindset vs the infinite mindset. We are all very familiar with the finite mindset. Among the characteristics of a finance mindset are a defined start and finish, predetermined rules, a specific measure of accomplishment and a clear winner and loser. Take a friendly game of pick-up basketball. There is a clear start and end to the game, teams are established as are the rules and the scoring system. The teams compete and after a specific time or defined goal is achieved, the game is over. Winners and losers are easy to identify.

The infinite mindset, on the other hand, has one objective: to keep playing the game. Image how this would radically change your pick-up game. It may be a bit frustrating, as a basketball game is, for most of us, not a big enough calling. But what about your business? What if you started to view the objective of your business, not in finite terms (such as profitability, market share, or number of burgers sold) but in infinite terms where the ability to continue to be in business (and by extension – serve your customers, communities and employees) is the ultimate objective?

2.  A just cause, not a fancy mission, vision and values, will inspire people. Companies have been creating mission statements for decades (fun fact: they started to become popular in the 1940s as corporate leaders were dealing with the challenges of a global depression and the threat of another world war), but it is not fancy mission statement that will lead employees to sacrifice time, attention, and energy over an entire career. No, it is a just cause – which, as Sinek defines it is: A specific vision of a future state that does not yet exist, that will inspire. You may be thinking that many of the mission statements you have heard meet this criteria; they may on the surface, but they do not meet the standards of a just cause. A just cause MUST:

• Be for something (affirmative and optimistic)
• Inclusive (open to all those who wish to contribute)
• Service oriented (for primary benefit of others)
• Resilient (able to endure political, technological, and cultural change)
• Idealistic (big, bold, and unachievable)

When a cause (business) embodies all of these standards, then it truly is playing the infinite game. I would argue that people would flock to work with and in an organization that has a clear, just cause.

3. Ethical fading can destroy an organization and transform an infinite mindset into a finite mindset. The world is full of examples of companies that at one time has a noble mission, and though small shifts in ethical behavior, they transformed into something that no one would agree would be noble. Look no further than Enron, Arthur Anderson, and Wells Fargo. Leaders who have an infinite mindset must be vigilant to make sure that they are not creating short term incentives that will cause employees to focus more on a finite game than the infinite plan.

4. A worthy rival is something to desire. In Proverbs, the Bible says that iron sharpens iron. So, it is with every entity. Having a worthy rival forces, causes you to up your game and perform at a higher level than you currently are. It drives creativity and innovation in what you do and where you are strategically going. Being without a worthy rival can be a dangerous place, and if you are in that situation – you better look around because a worthy rival is coming. I loved the example in the book of post-World War II United State and the USSR. These countries were rivals on the planet’s largest stage and they were rivals, economically, politically, militarily, intellectually, etc. After the fall of the USSR, many people in the US believed that we had “won” and that is a finite game. Some would argue that as a country, we took great pride in the fact that we “won” and as a result were blindsided by the mindset and belief that has caused the war on terror to drag on for 20+ years.

The Infinite Game has led me to challenge and examine where I place my value, energy and time. It has shown me that I need to dig deeper and define a just cause that will help provide motivation and inspiration when things are difficult. I am even more aware of the demands that I place on my team and co-workers, as I don’t want to unintentionally cause any ethical fading. Finally, it has caused me to look for a worthy rival; someone that will sharpen me and cause me to take my game to the next level.

Being an entrepreneur is one of the most difficult and demanding things you can do. The good news is that entrepreneurship today is a team sport. Hit the connect button on LinkedIn or Facebook NOW and together we will work towards hitting your 10-year target. Along the way we will increase your profit, strengthen your leadership skills and define your strategic vision. This will lead to confidence in your path, freedom to dream up bigger targets and a strategic banking relationship. When we connect, tell me who your worthy rival is (if you have one).

Greg Martin is an entrepreneur’s insider to the banking industry and passionately believes that every person was uniquely designed for a higher purpose and calling. Greg guides entrepreneurs in defining and achieving their purpose and calling. His deepest passion is living life with his wife and their wonderful son.