"We are the Finite players of Infinite game of life. We come & leave, we born & die, life still continue with us or without us. No matter how much money we make, how much power we accumulate, how many promotions we're given, none of us will ever be declared the winner of life." - Simon Sinek beautifully explains this in a book 'The Infinite Game'...
Take any game, football, cricket or kabaddi, there are certain rules. The numbers of player is fixed and there is a consensus on where to end. So it is easy to decide who won and who lost. This is called Finite game. But be it life, business or politics, there are no such definite rules. Have you ever seen things like follow xyz rules & win, play with xyz players & secure rank, elect xyz politician and make country great? No. It doesn't work this way. Because, these are all infinite games.
There is no set timetable, no set rules, and therefore, it is not possible to say where the end is, who is the winner. This thinking in very simple language & in the best style, author mentioned in this book. The thoughts presented below are some pearls in the same ocean. Each point is presented by the author through in-depth study, with examples and by occasional comparison. Therefore, reading the following points does not mean that the book is finished or summarized in 10 lines. This is an attempt to summarize what I like the most from book.
Note : All thoughts mentioned below is a bird eye view of the book. If you are a person, who likes or okay to know the crux of the book in a short summary like this, you are reading a right blog 🙂
Author suggest below 5 rules to gain this Infinite Mindset.
1. Just Cause - It is said that before starting anything, you should ask a question- 'why?'. But, the author says, one more thing that needs to be added is 'reason behind' i.e. 'Just Cause'. If 'why' is the foundation of the work we are doing, then 'just cause' is the ideal vision of house we build to hope.
2. Trusting Team - How we treat people is how they treat us. So we should form a safety circle of comfort or empathy around our people. Our formula should be 'Will before Resource & Trust before Performance'. A team with very smart but untrustworthy people never gives the desired result, so team might be formed with less intelligent people but not without loyal people. How does this faith grow? when we do right things even though we are not forced to do so.
3. Worthy Rival - Competitor compete for customers & rivals look for followers. The difference between the two is that, earlier plays to win, and later to make themselves better. So, if one invests their energy in improving weakness by finding out how others superior to them, they becomes a 'worthy competitor' instead of just a 'competitor'.
4. Existential Flexibility - One should be flexible & easy to adopt changes in life. For example in business, this existential flex doesn't happen at the founding of company, but when the company is fully formed & functioning.
5. Courage To Lead - Just as children imitate their parents at home, so do employees emulate their boss at office. Leader is not responsible for the result, but he is responsible for the employees who brings that result. That is why the true leader is the one who stands on one end of the directionless road and has the courage to find the next path. Thats what we called a true courageous leadership.
At last, infinite mindset is not a rule, it is a mindset, a framework, that accompanies you on the journey of life. Better in the infinite game is always better than the Best in finite game.
©Aaradhana Khot