Simon Sinek. The Infinite Game. Portfolio Penguin. New York. 2019.
Sinek clearly shows how most of what we believe about approaching life over the last several decades harms ourselves and everything around us.
We can't choose the game. We can't choose the rules. We can only choose how we play.
All of our meaningful pursuits are infinite games. Business, life, relationships all share these properties:
- known and unknown participants
- no exact or agreed-upon rules
- infinite time horizon
- primary objective is to keep playing
To succeed in infinite games you need to embrace 5 essential practices.
Learn more about 5 essential practices when you read the book. Treat leadership like a health regimen. Discover clear examples in real life of each practice and what failing at each practice looks like.
- Advance a 'just cause'
- Build 'trusting teams'
- Study your 'worthy rivals'
- Prepare for 'existential flexibility'
- Demonstrate 'courage to lead'
As before, you can hear Sinek's key points through every one of his talks and interviews since 2017. Here are some examples:
- How-to Forum - May 2019 - 90 minutes
- Steelcase - 30 minutes
- Impact Theory - 60 minutes
- Jordan Harbinger - 70 minutes
- Read to Lead - short
- Metis Strategy - 30 minutes
- John Maxwell - 25 minutes
- Talks at Google - 2018 - 55 minutes
- Nordic Business Forum - November 2019 - 60 minutes
- Live2Lead - 2016 - 35 minutes
Key Points noted for me
Just Cause
- for something
- inclusive
- service oriented
- resilient (endures changing circumstances and technology)
- idealistic
Organizations benefit from a Chief Vision Officer
- CEO's and COO's serve wildly different roles
- CEO could hold and fuel the vision
- COO ensures solid operations
Business's responsibility is currently warped and needs revision. Sinek suggests an alternative.
An organization can do whatever it likes to build its business so long as it is responsible for the consequences of its actions.
Trusting teams
-
Bias to take care of will over resources; treat people as human beings.
- Bias your focus on trust over performance to yield higher overall performance.
*Assess inputs and behaviours when training over the outcomes so your team members can overcome any obstacle. Trust flows from honesty, integrity, courage, resiliency, perseverence, judgment and decisiveness.
- Sinek cross-references Dare to Lead
Choose and identify 'worthy rivals'
- learn from your rival's strengths
- collaborate to achieve your just cause
'Existential Flexibility'
- when you change how you work and what you do so you can still seek to advance your 'just cause'
'Courage to Lead'
- taking care of the people in your care over arbitrary measures of success
- acting when you see the need to exercise your existential flexibility
- acting to keep your organization aligned to its values
Courageous Leaders are strong because they know they don't have all the answers and they don't have total control. They do, however, have each other and a Just Cause to guide them.