Ep 120 Thoughts on The Infinite Game

Episode Notes 

Join me today as I discuss the book The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek.  Coming from sales, this was a bit of a brain breaker to begin, but makes so much sense for growth in any industry.  Simon discusses the 5 essential components for any leader needs to play the Infinite Game.  Listen today as I give you an overview, and tell you where you can learn more.  

In This Episode:

• Simon Sinek 
• Brene Brown and The Infinite Mindset 
• Finite mindset vs infinite mindset 
• Advancing a Just Cause
• Build Trusting Teams
• Worthy rivals 
• Existential flexibility 
• The courage to lead  
• Work with me:  www.michellebourquecoaching.com/guide

 

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Episode Transcript 

Ep 120 

Hello hello hello 

Welcome back to the podcast friends

What’s going on in your life?

I see a lot of folks

Posting pictures of President Awards 

And Clinical Specialists of the year awards

It’s so much fun

We are on a different fiscal year

So it will be a few months

But I look forward to seeing everyone 

Posting from our company 

Soon 

Friends 

We are at episode 120

And you know for every 10th 

Podcast I plan to share a book

Or a mentor 

Or interview 

So today I want to share 

My thoughts on the book 

The Infinite Game 

By Simon Sinek

I’m sure you know his work 

Start with Why 

And He is also the author of 

Leaders Eat Last 

Which I’m in the process 

Of reading now 

This book

The Infinite Game 

It might be a bit of a brain breaker 

Especially if you are in sales 

Because we are so conditioned 

To play the finite mindset

We live by quarters 

We live by Years 

Your only as good as your last quarter 

We go From hero to zero 

And we all know 

Next quarter

is the most important quarter 

In the history of the company 

lol..

You know if you know right 

Oh – 

And before I forget 

You can actually here Simon 

Discuss this book 

With Brene Brown 

On her Spotify Podcast 

Dare to Lead 

I think it was like 

An hour and a half

So you may have to listen in chunks 

Ok 

Lets first just set the foundation 

And discuss 

What Sinek 

Defines as finite games 

These are games

Where the player is known

The rules are fixed 

And 

Their is a clear end point 

Something like football, hockey, soccer 

He defines infinite games 

Like business 

Politics 

Even life

As 

games where players come and go

The rules are changeable 

And there really is no defined end point 

Meaning 

In sales we talk about beating the competition right

But by what standards?

And what time frame?

So a lot of times we say 

We need more market share 

But what does that really mean?

Let me share an example 

When I used to work for a TV station

We sold commercial air time 

Which side note 

to any of you who 

Complain about not having enough inventory 

And you have to use from the district 

We used to run out of air time inventory 

I kid you not

Here’s a thought you can borrow – 

Inventory is always an issue when you are selling 

Great things ok ? lol.

Ok 

So when you sell commercials 

You obviously get more money 

From the shows that have more eyeballs

And you get to say 

Things like 

I have the number one morning program

You will for sure want to be in it 

But did you ever notice 

How a lot of TV shows claim to be #1 

That’s because 

They are playing by different metrics

Some might be #1 in the Women 

25-54 demo 

Some might be #1 in 18-25 adults 

The rules are not the same 

Make sense?

 Now 

What is it even important 

To discuss the idea 

Of finite mindset vs 

Infinite 

Sinek says its the finite mindset 

Year after year 

That leads companies to decline 

And for the purpose of this podcast 

Let’s think about how you can apply it 

For your territory 

Your job 

What he says is 

When too many players 

Opt to play the finite mindset 

It’s likely there is 

Quote 

A general decline in trust,

Cooperation 

And innovation

In an organization 

Al of which make it vastly 

More difficult to survive and thrive 

In a fast moving business world.

So if we believe these values 

Are important to our business 

We need to start playing 

With in infinite mindset 

Sinek says 

There are 5 essential practices 

For any leader who wants to adopt an infinite mindset

I’ll give you a quick overview here 

1. Advance a Cause 
2. Build trusting teams
3. Study your worthy rivals 
4. Prepare for existential flexibility 
5. Demonstrate the courage to lead  

Ok – lets start with advance a cause

He says a just cause is a specific vision

Of a future state 

That does not yet exist 

But is so appealing 

That people are willing to make sacrifices 

In order to help advance toward the vision 

It’s not the same as your WHY 

Your why is past tense 

This is future focused 

It’s what keeps you going on late nights 

It’s bigger than one particular win 

It’s more fulfilling 

He uses a number of examples like 

Railroads 

And Spotify and amazon in the book 

As he goes more in depth with just cause 

I bet a lot of you can find this in your role 

Especially if in device sales 

There are so many patient lives we touch 

And I think its valuable to get clear on what that just cause 

Is for your team 

Next one up 

Building trusting teams 

Sinek talks about how 

Just like a leader can’t force a team 

To feel happy  or inspired 

They also can’t make us trust each other 

Trust is a feeling 

And it is often developed 

When we feel like it is safe to be vulnerable 

To step up and admit if you made a mistake 

Or to ask for help 

So trust 

And vulnerability 

Grow together 

And it’s interesting right 

Because a lot of times we hear 

Its business 

Not personal 

But the truth is 

We all still have feelings 

So do we want to foster 

Resentment and frustration 

Or more trust 

Here he uses some great examples 

Including SEAL teams 

And the balance of 

Performance and trust 

And also goes into ideas around 

Ethics 

Ok 

Next 

Study your worthy rivals 

I loved this one 

We get to choose our rivals strategically 

It simply means 

We find people 

That may have competencies 

Higher than ourselves 

And we learn from them 

And it pushes us 

To be better versions 

Or ourselves 

So a traditional competition forces us 

Into a mindset to win 

Worthy rivals 

Push us in a way

That few others can 

I’m not saying 

We don’t want to win 

But its such a different mindset 

In fact 

I found this quote that pretty much sums it up for me 

Sinek says 

We’d achieve more 

If we chased the dream

Instead of the competition 

He uses some great examples 

Of Apple

And Microsoft 

And Blockbuster 

Think of the energy you waste 

Thinking abut your Competition 

In a way that doesn’t move you forward 

instead, Find all the ways that can help you 

Become your next best version 

Ok

Last 2 

Existential flexibility and the courage to lead 

He defines   

Existential flexibility as 

The capacity to initiate an extreme 

Disruption to a business model

Or strategic course 

In order to more effectively advance

A just cause 

It is always on the offensive 

And – it’s something a fully formed company does 

Because it is a risk 

Its disrupting what is 

And in this chapter 

He uses examples of Walt Disney

And Steve Jobs 

And we will close with 

The courage to lead

Sinek defines this as 

The willingness to take risks

For the good of an unknown future 

Which side note folks

Isn’t all of our futures unknown?

We think we know what’s going to happen 

Silly us 

Said 2020 …

A difference in how Sinek discusses this concept is 

It takes the courage to lead 

To make decisions that counter current standards 

Of business and it takes the courage to lead to ignore 

The pressure of outside parties who 

Are not invested in 

Or believers in your just cause 

In this chapter he uses examples 

For CVS and American Airlines 

How they completed changed the way business was run

And as we close 

I want to encourage you to start getting curious about this idea 

The courage to lead 

Relating to the infinite mindset 

Being willing to completely change 

The way you think of your work 

In order to make for a better future 

How fun does that sound?

I’m in 

Are you?

And hey 

If you want to do this work 

Like find new ways to help more patients 

Make more money 

Take on new roles and lead in new ways 

I want to help 

Let’s chat about working together one on one 

You can get started by 

Downloading a complimentary guide 

For 3 strategies to excel in your career 

But without the stress and overhwhelm 

Go to michellebouquecoachign.com/guide

Ok friends 

Thats what I have for you today 

Lets circle back next week 

But for now 

Stay safe 

And make it a great day 

Take care!