Pile On Motivation

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Category: Book review

  • What makes a “Just Cause” a necessity in an infinite game

    A “just cause”as defined by Simon Sinek in “The Infinite Game” is a specific vision of the 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.

    Such a vision aims at benefits for others in mind without being selfish minded.

    Such a vision makes hiring easier wherein passionate people in line with this vision can be onboarded to advance the vision.

    Such a just cause makes the people give their blood sweat and tear on being inspired by the broad purpose.Hence a “just cause” is a pre-requiste for survival in an infinite game.

  • A vision should be “for” rather than “against” something

    A message crafted with an “against” in mind is reactive , is about vilifying , demonizing or rejecting.This thus more often than not would convey a demotivating negative message.

    As against this a message crafted with a “for” in mind is about feeling inspired , ignites the hunan spirit and makes us feel optimistic and hopeful thus inspires us.

    Hence an impactful vision statement in otder to inspire a group should have a “for” rather than an “against”.

    Simon Sinek mentions this in “The Infinite Game”.

  • Winning a finite game no more than a “dopamine” shot

    A finite game is one where players are fixed , rules are fixed and time is limited.

    “Winning” matters in a finite game and as a result finite games are played by players led by finite minded leaders.Winning is for the short term and is hardly able to stand the test of time.The effect is temporary wherein a win results in a “dopamine” flow.

    On the other hand guided by a long term vision an infinite minded leader enables a player to play an infinite game wherein the respective players guided by the vision attain fulfillment instead of just a temporary “dopamine” shot.

    Simon Sinek touches upon these aspects in “The Infinite Game”

  • Watch out for leaders and their messages

    When a leader issues a communication to a broader audience on behalf of the company their intent or mindset of leading the organization becomes very clear.

    If the communication prioritizes growth , shareholder value , customer satisfaction , employees in that order it clearly puts “numbers” over “people” which is an indication of a finite minded leader focused on short term goals.

    If the order of communication is reversed , the organization is playing an infinite game led by a leader with an infinite mindset.

    Simon Sinek mentions about such nuances in his book titled “The Infinite Game”.

  • Infinite minded leader – Doug Mcmillon

    Doug Mcmillon has revived Walmart with his infinite mindset after the dismal period from  2009 and 2013 under Mike Duke.

    Main reason of revival under Doug Mcmillion is attributed to his infinite mindset and vision of putting people over numbers.

    Please read below one such great post(source Fortune.com) that talks about why he is indeed an infinite minded leader.

    https://fortune.com/2015/06/04/walmart-ceo-doug-mcmillon/

    Simon Sinek makes a mention of Doug Mcmillon in “The Infinite Game”

     

  • Deciding to lead – Three factors

    There are three factors to consider as a leader of a team participating in a game.

    1) The leader cannot choose whether the game is finite or infinite

    2) The leader has to decide whether to take part in the game or not

    3) Once the leader decides to join the fame , he/she has to decide whether to play with a finite mindset or an infinite mindset.

    Depending on the mindset the corresponding game would be played.

    Simon Sinek mentions this in “The Infinite Game”

  • CHOOSE an INFINITE MINDSET

    In life or in business , we cannot choose the game we play. Neither can we choose the rules. The rules vary between “finite” & “infinite” games. The only option is to choose an INFINITE mindset in the infinite game.

    The ONLY choice we have is how we play whether with a “finite mindset” or with an “infinite mindset”.

    A finite mindset is thinking only about the short term goals and benefits whereas infinite mindset is keeping an eye on the long run.

    Hence how we play the game directly impacts our fulfillment.

    Simon Sinek mentions this in “The Infinite Game”

  • Adopting an “infinite mindset” needs courage

    An infinite mindset always thinks of the long run rather than focusing on “low hanging fruits” in the short term.

    Since this relates to a vision , of something currently non-existential , it comes with its own set of risks.

    History is witness to the fact that visionary leaders who have adopted an “infinite mindset” have created and envisioned things beyond the realm of the ordinary finite minded leaders.Examples include Apple , COSTCO , Barry Wehmiller , CVS etc.

    An example which is mention worthy in this context would be CVS Health.

    When CVS embarked on its journey of nurturing good health for one and all , the giant step that it decided to take was abandoning sale of cigarettes across all its stores.The decision to change its name from CVS Caremark to CVS Health was in line with this vision as well.Though met with a lot of resistance in the long run the “just cause” did serve the company very well and helped it stand out from its competitors namely Walgreens and Rite Aid where the “finite mindset” obsessed leaders could not make up their mind to follow suit.

    Simon Sinek’s “The infinite Game” makes a mention of the same.

  • Respecting a “Worthy Rival”

    A worthy rival can often help us get better at what we do.

    Often when a business is doing very well , the absence of a worthy rival can lead to complacency.As a result of this , if the business is not led with an infinite mindset it can lose focus and stands a chance of extinction in the near future when a new rival enters the market with a disruptive mindset.

    As against this it is always better to admire “worthy rivals” who can keep a business on its toes.A matured leader and organization knows the need to appreciate the good qualities in a “worthy rival” to learn from the rival and cover up its existing deficiencies.

    When arrogance sets in with no respect for a rival’s positive qualities , the organization loses out on key insights which can be very detrimental in the long run.

    Simon Sinek highlights the importance of appreciating the good qualities in a “worthy rival” in order to be better equipped to play the infinite game.

  • When Doug Parker exhibited the “Courage to Lead”

    Doug Parker the CEO of American Airlines wanted to rejuvenate its employees.

    The mid contract raise of flight attendants and pilots was finally approved.

    This received a lot of flak from shareholders and Wall Street pundits who were worried that such a strategy would erode the company bottomline.

    This is an example of an infinite minded decision keeping employees ahead of numbers.Such decisions are bound to bear fruit in the long term and emanate out of a “courage to lead”.

    The following link mentions this infinite mindedness in more details.

    https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2017/07/28/pay-raises-pave-way-for-profits-american-airlines.html

    (Souce bizjournals)

    Simon Sinek makes a mention of Doug Parker in his book titled “The Infinite Game”