Organizations that work for the advancement of a just cause , work towards a vision that is expected to be realized in future which if realized can advance society at large.
Such kind of vision makes monetary & short term benefits irrelevant.In such organizations people like their work but most importantly love their jobs since they feel part of a larger futuristic goal.
Needless to say “just cause” gives a sense of true fulfillment as mentioned by Simon Sinek in “The Infinite Game”.
Nikolai Vavilov was a renowned Soviet agronomist , botanist & geneticist who had a vision of creating a bank of plant seeds to protect the world from famine and similar disasters due to the unavailability of crops and plant seeds.
His vision became the “just cause” which got his fellow doctors so engaged that even during the emergency situation in Leningrad they were prepared to protect the seed bank at the cost of their lives.
At a time wherein during the Nazi invasion in Leningrad , starvation forced people consume zoo animals , cats , dogs these followers of Vavilov gave their lives trying to protect the seed bank because they were drawn by the larger vision of Vavilov.
By means of this example , Simon Sinek very aptly proves why “just cause” is a cornerstone of playing infinite games.
Just cause is a vision which has not been realized but a cause that is worthy enough for believers to even be ready to sacrifice their lives.
The goal of an infinite fame is not to win but to keep playing for the future realization of something bigger than ourselves.
Hence the importance of the just cause especially to a leader to keep the followers engaged.
Thus an organization which enables the employees to work for a just cause are ones where employees end up loving their jobs.
Simon Sinek makes a mention of this in his book titled “The Infinite Game”.
To lead an organization with an infinite mindset , in the infinite game of business , a leader needs to adhere to the below mentioned five principles to lead with an infinite mindset.
The five principles to lead with an infinite mindset have been summarized below:
1) Advance a just cause
2) Build trusting teams
3)Study worthy rivals
4)Demonstrate existential flexibility
5)Have the courage to lead
Simon Sinek very aptly makes a mention of this framework in his book titled “The Infinite Game”.
Though the game of business is infinite , there has been a rise of leaders with a finite mindset trying to run the show in the game of business.
A finite mindset which results in quick short term gains often comes at the sacrifice of employee benefits and empathy.
Terms such as “Number one in the industry” seem very flashy & saleable to the board as well as shareholders.For this simple reason we see CEO’s of modern day organizations obsessed with competition always trying to outwit them rather than wanting to be a better version of their ownselves.
This is addictive like gambling and such short term benefits increase the flow of “dopamine” thus make these short term tactics seductive.In the long run though , these have very detrimental effects for an organization as a whole.
Simon Sinek makes a mention of this in “The Infinite Game”.
According to McKinsey , the average longevity of a S&P 500 firm has been steadily decreasing from an average of 61 years to 18 years.
The primary reason for this has been attributed to a leader’s shift in mindset from infinite to finite.
The moment quarterly numbers become topmost priority , shortcuts like employee layoffs are used to shoot up profits , mistrust , non-cooperation emerge as the biggest byproducts messing up the environment.
Simon Sinek has made this point in his book named “The Infinite Game.”
The need is to have leaders with an infinite mindset to ethically play the infinite game of business.
In the quest of attaining short term benefits , leaders with a finite mundset frequently indulge in selfish , unethical & short term tactics.This can range from whimsical employee layoffs to of facts to cover own ass.The cascading effect results in lack of trust & cooperation among the employees.
The futile reactive short term tactics of Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer to counter Apple’s infinite mindset has been very aptly cited by Simon Sinek in Infinite game to highlight the long term benefits of an infinite mindset.
Leadership lessons should thus be oriented towards creating more and more leaders with an infinite mindset.
Victorinox is the iconic manufacturer of Swiss Army knives which for a long time served as souveneirs or gift items.
80% of its revenues used to come from the sale of these knives.Post 9/11 there was a ban related to carrying these in the hand luggage.This was a huge setback and the jobs of a lot many employees was at stake.
Victorinox believes in playing infinite games and used it cash reserved to encourage and innovate even further to compensate for the loss of revenue from Swiss knives.
This infinite mindset paid rich dividends and led to the birth of watches and fragrances as new product segments.
This example cited from Simon Sinek’s Infinite Game goes a long way in showing why possessing a long term mindset would surpass all obstacles.
Simon Sinek’s Infinite Game outlines the need of possessing an infinite mindset in leading our day-to-day lives. This is irrespective of the context be it work or family. Outlined below is a comparison between the two kinds of mindset and the benefits of an infinite mindset.
| Finite mindset | Infinite mindset |
| Focus is on the short term | Focus is on the long term |
| Focus is on “Me” | Focus is on “Us” |
| Not achieving expected results leads to stress , anxiety , loss of trust | The mindset focuses on betterment of oneself. The focus is to make oneself better by the day. |
| The focus is on beating the competition | The focus is on making a better version of oneself without being fussy about competition |
| Focus on short term oriented results does not lead to any long term benefits to society | Leads to socially beneficial effects |
| This kind of mindset never leaves a legacy behind | Focus is on leaving behind a legacy which can transcend generations |