The Infinite Game

“Infinite games, in contrast, are played by known and unknown players. There are no exact or agreed-upon rules […] Infinite games have infinite time horizons.”

As opposed to finite games, infinite games are not played to win, but played to keep playing. To Sinek, business, relationships, and life itself are infinite games. The rules of infinite games differ from those of finite games because players need to focus on sustainability. 

“The United States operated as if the game were finite instead of fighting against a player that was playing with the right mindset for the Infinite Game they were actually in. While America was fighting to ‘win,’ the North Vietnamese were fighting for their lives.”

Sinek uses this quote to attempt to explain a key difference between finite and infinite games. He compares the American forces to the North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War and how the latter played with an infinite mindset, resulting in their victory. This is an example of Sinek providing historical comparisons to illustrate his theories, even if they aren’t clear-cut.

“A Just Cause is not the same as our WHY. A WHY comes from the past. It is an origin story. It is a statement of who we are—the sum total of our values and beliefs. A Just Cause is about the future. It defines where we are going. It describes the world we hope to live in and will commit to help build.”

Here, Sinek references an important term from his first book, Start With Why, which explains differences between an organization’s what, how, and why. The what is a product or service; the how is manufacturing, distribution, and delivery; and the why is the purpose for an organization’s existence. The just cause is Sinek’s latest addition to his vocabulary for organizational leadership.

“[Only] when the primary beneficiary of the Cause is someone other than the organization itself can the Cause be Just.”

Sinek explains how the effects of a cause relate to its quality of justness. This relates to stakeholder capitalism and corporate philanthropy: Sinek believes a just cause cannot be just unless it benefits all people in a hierarchy.

“A written cause works like a compass. And with a compass in hand, each succession of leaders, their gaze looking beyond the horizon, can more easily navigate the technologies, politics, and cultural norms of the day without the founder present.”

Sinek uses a simile—a metaphor by direct comparison—to explain how the act of writing a cause makes it more tangible and therefore achievable. A just cause provides direction to leaders and an organization well into the future.

“The question that a Just Cause must answer is: What is the infinite and lasting vision that a moon shot will help advance?”

In this quote, Sinek criticizes President John F. Kennedy’s just cause of putting an American on the moon. Although Kennedy’s cause was impressive, it did not provide the American people with lasting motivation. The moon landing was treated as a finite technological race, rather than an infinite game of innovation.

“The lack of a clear standard for the role and responsibility of the CEO in our organizations is one of the reasons we find too many leaders of companies playing the finite game when they should at least be thinking about the Infinite Game.”

Here, Sinek describes the shortcomings of CEOs who only play finite games. Too often, they pursue short-term goals related to profits. To Sinek, these leaders should make their decisions last beyond their own tenure.

“Capitalism is about more than prosperity (measured in features and benefits, dollars and cents); it’s also about progress (measured in quality of life, technological advancements and the ability of the human race to live and work together in peace).”

Throughout the book, Sinek criticizes the form of capitalism that values profit over people. He frames the economist Milton Friedman as one of the main proponents of this exploitative form of capitalism. The infinite game imagines a form of capitalism that can produce, innovate, and earn money without compromising ethical behavior.

“Will encompasses morale, motivation, inspiration, commitment, desire to engage, desire to offer discretionary effort and so on. Will generally comes from inside sources like the quality of leadership and the clarity and strength of the Just Cause. Will represents the sum of all the human elements that contribute to the health of the organization.”

Sinek distinguishes between resources and will. Resources comprise money, personnel, and investors, while will comprises the emotional, social, and ethical qualities of an organization. Resources adhere to the rules of a finite game, while will helps leaders play the infinite game.

“Our ability to trust is not based on our industry. This is human being stuff. Sometimes all we need to do is translate the concepts to fit the cultures in which we work.”

Vulnerability and trust are two important factors in a healthy, sustainable organization. For an organization to play the infinite game, it needs to empower leaders and employees with the freedom to share their emotions and issues within the organization.

“Leaders are not responsible for the results, leaders are responsible for the people who are responsible for the results. And the best way to drive performance in an organization is to create an environment in which information can flow freely, mistakes can be highlighted and help can be offered and received. In short, an environment in which people feel safe among their own. This is the responsibility of a leader.”

Sinek identifies a leader as someone who empowers and takes care of the people who follow them. Leaders should not fixate on short-term goals related to metrics and numbers, as empathy leads to long-term safety, well-being, and better performance for all.

“Ethical Fading is condition in a culture that allows people to act in unethical ways in order to advance their own interests, often at the expense of others, while falsely believing that they have not compromised their own moral principles.”

Ethical fading is the slow degradation of an organization’s ethics. By partaking in unethical acts for short-term gains, these acts become the norm and develop a culture that rewards immorality.

“An infinite mindset embraces abundance whereas a finite mindset operates with a scarcity mentality. In the Infinite Game we accept that ‘being the best’ is a fool’s errand and that multiple players can do well at the same time.”

Sinek believes striving for perfection and dominance is a recipe for ethical fading. Finite games encourage the mindset of trying to win at all costs. Infinite games try to ensure the success of many while advancing a just cause.

“Cause Blindness is when we become so wrapped up in our Cause or so wrapped up in ‘wrongness’ of the other player’s Cause, that we fail to recognize their strengths or our weaknesses.”

Although just causes are necessary to play the infinite game, leaders sometimes become so infatuated with their own just cause that the pursuit of it clouds their judgment. Leaders with cause blindness view their competition as lesser instead of as worthy rivals who can push them to improve.

“The Cold War met all the standards of an Infinite Game. Unlike finite warfare, where there are agreed-upon conventions for play, easily identifiable sides and a clear definition of when the war will end (e.g., a land grab or some other easily measurable, finite objective).”

This is another example of Sinek conflating a historical event with his main argument. He tries to relate business examples and the Cold War to show the United States lost a worthy rival in outside influence. The quote also contains a dependent clause punctuated as a complete sentence, which is a hallmark of his writing style.

“Existential Flexibility is the capacity to initiate an extreme disruption to a business model or strategic course in order to more effectively advance a Just Cause.”

Sinek describes the ability of a leader or organization to take risks and make sacrifices as existential flexibility. He asserts this skill is crucial to innovation.

“Again, the motivation for an infinite-minded player to Flex is to advance the Cause, even if it disrupts the existing business model.”

Leaders need to understand how and when to initiate existential flexibility. However, Sinek doesn’t explain when exactly to flex. Sometimes, fellow members of an executive team or employees question one’s judgment and push for existential flexibility. Other times, leaders recognize stagnation and diversion from the just cause and act accordingly.

“The pressure we all face today to maintain a finite mindset is overwhelming.”

Sinek argues that modern business practices encourage finite thinking because corporations, investors, and analysts are obsessed with making profit. The courage to lead requires leaders to challenge the status quo and pursue ethical just causes with infinite mindsets.

“The Courage to Lead is a willingness to take risks for the good of an unknown future.”

Here, Sinek defines the fifth and final essential practice of the infinite mindset. The courage to lead means fighting for a just cause without concern for short-term losses. It is essential for playing the infinite game because it encourages the pursuit of ethical purposes and visions of a better future.

“We can wait for a lifelong experience that shakes us to our core and challenges the way we see the world.”

Sinek provides two methods to find the courage to lead. This first method occurs when leaders encounter tragedy, opportunity, or divine intervention that motivates them to make change. This method is risky because it relies on passivity.

“Or we can find a Just Cause that inspires us; surround ourselves with others with whom we share common cause, people we trust and who trust us; identify a Rival worthy of comparison that will push us to constantly improve; and remind ourselves that we are committed to the Cause than to any particular path or strategy we happen to be following.”

This second method to find the courage to lead provides leaders with more control. Seeking inspiration or community can help leaders change their mindset.

“The whole point of having a statement of Cause or purpose is that they actually believe it. That they really believe the purpose of business is bigger than making money.”

Sinek places much of the importance of Fostering an Infinite Mindset on the individual. People must wholeheartedly believe their just cause. As a result, employees, customers, followers, and other constituents will behave ethically in accordance with an organization’s purpose and vision.

“The Courage to Lead begets the Courage to Lead.”

In this quote, Sinek creates a circular justification for the importance of the courage to lead. When leaders and companies take risks and make sacrifices to advance their just cause, they begin a cycle of courageous decision-making.