As human beings we are blessed and CURSED with our ability for RATIONAL THOUGHT.
It is with our capacity for rational and analytical thought that we can think through hard problems and advance technology.
This can also be MISUSED to explain or JUSTIFY our behavior when we know it VIOLATES some deep seated code of ethics or helps us avoid some sense of guilt we may harbor for a decision or action we took.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
Build a Work Culture based on trust takes a lot of doing.
It starts by creating a space in which people feel comfortable and safe to be themselves.
Work Culture has the following two primary components:
Realizing these two components are the building blocks of a company work culture can help an infinite minded leader create a trust oriented and high performing work culture.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
Our brains are hardwired to protect ourselves.
We AVOID DANGER and seek out places in which we FEEL SAFE.
The best place is to be AMONG OTHERS around whom we feel safe and we know will protect us.
The most ANXIETY inducing place is to be ALONE , where we feel we have to protect ourselves from the PEOPLE in our OWN TEAM.
Fear can push us to CHOOSE the best FINITE option at the risk of doing INFINITE DAMAGE.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
The process of building trust takes risks.
We start by taking small risks , and if we feel safe , we take bigger risks.
Sometimes there are missteps , then we try again.
Until eventually we feel we can completely be ourselves.
Thus TRUST must be continuously and actively cultivated.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
Though once upon a time GE was regarded as an iconic company with time its value drastically went down and eventually it came to a stage where the US government had to resort to a $300 billion bail out to revive GE during the 2008 financial crisis.
If we do a prognosis we will find the reason due to the once iconic Jack Welch leadership style.
Jack Welch was a perfect example of a finite minded leader who believed in quick short term oriented results.There were only two metrics he followed to judge people – Performance and Potential(Future performance) with no regards to TRUST or character.
The culture nurtured by him at GE had people pitted against each other , where people lacked trust and were demotivated.
In due course of time the short sighted structure built by Jack Welch collapsed since the primary emphasis was never “Will” of people but was always profits before people.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
In a culture dominated by intense pressure to meet quarterly or annual targets , too many leaders value high performers with little consideration of whether others can TRUST them or not.
Such finite minded leaders to meet their targets are prepared to sacrifice the work environment to nurture more selfish , narrow minded and non-trustworthy individuals.
Hence the environment where people are pitted against each other lacks trust and is one where people feel demotivated and becomes depressing with time.
These are primary reasons why we find so many finite minded leaders nurturing such low trust work environments all over the world.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
Milton Friedman’s shareholder primacy theory requiring every company to give primary focus and attention to direct their attention to safeguard the interests of the shareholders is the primary reason that has given rise to advent of finite mindset and hence finite minded leaders.
When the Resources i.e. financial metrics with respect to shareholders need to be given primary importance CEO’s often tend to prioritize them at the cost of human resources by means of layoffs.
In such a scenario the environment becomes filled with mistrust when employees are pitted against each other for attainment of short term targets.
Hence Milton Friedman’s theory has been the primary reasons we have more finite minded leaders who care for short term benefits prioritizing profit over people.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
The Idea Diffusion Curve talks about Innovators , Early Adopters , Early Majority , Late Majority and Laggards.
The cleared a JUST CAUSE the more likely it will attract and invite the Innovators and Early Adopters who take risks to advance something that exists almost entirely in their imaginations.
With each success a little more of the iceberg is revealed to others and the vision in the JUST CAUSE become more visible to others.And when others see the vision becoming real the Innovators , Early Adopters draw the Early Majority , Late Majority to commit their time and energy to make the vision real.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
The main reason why service orientation and selflessness communicated in a JUST CAUSE is important is because it BUILDS a LOYAL BASE of employees , customers and investors who buy in to the JUST CAUSE and because of the larger than life reason communicated agree to stick to the organization through thick and thin.
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game
A JUST CAUSE is espoused by a visionary leader and acts as a guiding star for motivating more and more followers.
In essence a JUST CAUSE has these 5 essential ingredients:
Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game