I have had the privilege of working closely with some incredible leaders through the course of my career. My first exposure to a true leader within a professional working environment came at the age of 15, when I secured an internship with a Financial Advisor – Michael.
Michael, at the time, was building his wealth management practice with a boutique investment firm. My internship role was simple: I was to file paperwork, support in building marketing materials and fetch coffee. But there was something else I was focused on – observing Michael. From how he ate his morning bagel to how he spoke to his clients. From how he parked his Mercedes SLK at the front of the building to how he treated his peers. From how he wrote in his daily planner to how he dressed. I was fixated on absorbing everything Michael thought, said, did and wrote.
As I look back on my life, I can confidently say that my time interning with Michael shaped my professional and personal mindset. The abundance mindset hacks that I learned from him are the foundation of who I am both as an individual and as a professional. You see, while many business leaders play to win, Michael played the infinite game. While other financial advisors were focused on winning by beating the competition, Michael had an ‘everyone can win’ mindset. I explore this idea further below.
In his book, “The Infinite Game”, Simon Sinek explores two types of games in business: finite and infinite. Finite games have winners and losers. The rules are known to both sides and the playing field is well-defined. It’s neat. It’s clean. Someone wins, and someone loses. On the other hand, infinite games have no winners or losers. Rules do not exist, and if they do – they are open to interpretation. The playing field is undefined and progress is hard to measure. Opponents change frequently, as does the game itself. There is no finish line – no practical end to the game. Because there is no end to the game, there is no such thing as winning an infinite game. The goal is to keep playing, to perpetuate the game.
Companies that operate with a finite mindset are designed for stability. While they might produce quarterly results, they are not prepared to handle disruptions. Infinite minded organizations think in terms of generations, not quarters. Sinek argues that in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business world, the most successful leaders and organizations are learning to play the infinite game.
“The infinite-minded player understands that sometimes you have a better product and sometimes they do… There’s no such thing as being the best…because in the infinite game there’s no such thing as winning business. The goal is to outlast…outdo yourself.” - Simon Sinek
Any leader who wants to adopt an infinite mindset must follow these five essential practices:
1. Advance a Bigger Just Cause: Find and articulate 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.
2. Foster Trusting Teams: Create a psychologically safe environment for your team to operate at their natural best – to be vulnerable enough to admit mistakes, speak their mind and take moderate risks.
3. Study Worthy Rivals: A worthy rival will keep you honest and strive to be better. This constant improvement is essential for organizations that want to be strong enough to stay in the game long-term.
4. Practice Existential Flexibility: The infinite-minded leader understands that it is a far more significant risk to stagnate, and continue down the current safe path. The motivation of the infinite-minded leader is to advance the cause even if it disrupts the existing business model.
5. Demonstrate the Courage to Lead: Have the courage to lead and make decisions counter to the current standards of business – to ignore the pressure of outside parties.
Infinite-minded leaders create stronger and more innovative organizations, leaving behind resilient organizations and legacy that last generations. Ultimately, those who adopt an infinite mindset are the ones who lead the rest of us into the future.
Michael taught me that in life, we don’t always get to choose the game. We don’t always get to choose the rules. We can only choose how we play. Choose to play the infinite game. Choose to play the infinite game with the perennial competitor – you.
You can learn more about Simon Sinek HERE.
