The Infinite Game

Sinek begins Chapter 6 by describing how the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas differs from other hotels because of its employees. The employees greet guests because they want to, not because they are required; they seem to love their work. Managers connect with them, and this connection leads to one loving their work, making it matter more than money earned or tasks completed. Sinek uses this anecdote to introduce two “currencies” required to play finite and infinite games: resources and will (94). Resources generally refer to money, or ways that money can be quantified through investments or revenue. Will cannot be measured as easily; it comprises motivation and commitment. According to Sinek, competent leaders need to know when and how to mobilize these two currencies. Finite-minded leaders tend to prioritize resources of people and will. Infinite-minded leaders look past daily pressures involving resources and instead focus on how they can motivate and support their people. For example, an infinite-minded leader with will as their main currency may opt for furloughs instead of mass layoffs if resources become constrained. Sinek also cites Apple and Costco as two organizations that prioritize their people by offering health insurance, retirement savings, and professional development opportunities to retain employees. By avoiding turnover, these two companies save money and develop a strong corporate culture. Infinite-minded companies invest in their employees and treat them like humans to create camaraderie.

Sinek mentions The Container Store during the 2008 Recession as an example of a company favoring will over resources. The Container Store decided to freeze salaries and stop matching 401(k)s to prevent mass layoffs. The executive team worried about employee backlash but was surprised to find that employees were happy to keep their jobs and help save the company other costs. Employees opted to pick cheaper hotels for business trips and cheaper vendors for corporate events while paying for their own travel expenses. The Container Store built enough trust through competitive pay and investment in personal growth that employees were willing to take cuts and give back—exhibiting faith in the company’s just cause. While resources are finite, such will is infinite.

Sinek starts Chapter 7 by explaining the challenges of Shell URSA, the largest offshore deep-water drilling platform. Shell Oil Company hired Rick Fox to lead the team in operating the rig. Fox was contacted by Claire Nuer, a leadership consultant from Northern California, who heard about the Shell URSA project and expressed her desire to help. After Fox explained the complexities of operating a deep-sea oil rig, Nuer made her pitch: “If Fox really wanted his crew to be safe and succeed in the face of all the new challenges, his crew would need to learn to express their feelings” (104). Despite their reticence to share their emotions, Fox and his crew started to connect after Nuer’s workshops. Over a year’s time, Fox and Nuer created a team who felt physically and psychologically safe with each other based on mutual trust.

Sinek uses this anecdote to show the importance of building “trusting teams.” Building a team in which each member trusts one another requires everyone’s willingness to be vulnerable. When team members sense they can’t be vulnerable, they “feel forced to lie, hide and take to compensate” (106). Sinek reports that Shell URSA had one of the lowest records of injury in the industry and an “84 percent overall decline in accidents companywide” after Nuer’s trust-building workshops (107). Moreover, Shell URSA outperformed their production goals and environmental targets once they implemented trust-building exercises. In some industries, an aversion to trust comes from corporate cultures that equate vulnerability with weakness; some corporations believe business should avoid personal interactions altogether. Yet Sinek believes all work, including notions of professionalism, involves emotions. To deny emotions is to think with a finite mindset. Infinite-minded leaders like Rick Fox know emotions are at the core of performance and professionalism.

Sinek pivots his discussion to the Navy SEALS, who evaluate candidates via two axes: Performance lies on the vertical y-axis, and trust on the horizontal x-axis. Performance measures technical competence, and trust evaluates character. The SEALS discovered that people in the top left of the graph—high performance, low trust—were toxic members of the team, those who “exhibit traits of narcissism, are quick to blame others, put themselves first […] and can have a negative influence on their teammates, especially new or junior members” (110). SEALs would rather induct a medium performer with high trust, and sometimes a low performer with high trust, because they prioritize trust over performance. Sinek says that CEOs like GE’s Jack Welch measured their employees on axes of performance and potential. That is, these executives valued finite goals of monetary or material returns in the present or near future. Consequently, trust was disintegrated. This type of company culture rewards toxic, high-performing employees and fires low-performing employees deemed to have little to no potential. Even well-intentioned leaders may say they value trust while continuing to reward high-performing but toxic behavior. Employees are naturally drawn to teammates who take accountability for their actions, have high emotional intelligence, and contribute to group cohesion. Even if these employees are low performers, Sinek believes their capacity for trust should be valued and cultivated. Low performers with high trust need to be taught technical skills, while high performers with low trust need to be taught how to express vulnerability.

Sinek continues to prove the value of trust through a story about the Castle Rock Police Department (CRPD), which was plagued with valuing performance over trust. Chief Jack Cauley set out to change this culture when he became a leader at CRPD. He wanted to build trust without relying on “tickets written, blind obedience or job insecurity” (115). The first thing Cauley did was start holding listening sessions. When employees told him that previous management refused to build a fence around the parking lot for safety, he listened and ordered the fence to be erected. He created a “circle of safety” so employees and officers understood leadership had their back. Instead of terminating low-performing, low-trust officers, he gave them opportunities to prove themselves; otherwise, they were fired. Regardless of effort, Sinek believes leaders cannot force people to join a trusting team; they can only cultivate trust through empathy and opportunities.

Leaders also need to implement trust to eradicate fear. Fear creates anxiety, dishonesty, and negative outcomes for business. It took Alan Mulally months to remove the fear established by the previous CEO at Ford. Other executives were afraid that they would be reprimanded or fired if they voiced concerns, so they initially lied about performance. When Mulally established trust, these executives started to talk openly. In turn, Ford became a more successful organization. Overall, leaders need to both create environments conducive to honest dialogue and model honesty themselves.

Despite the book’s disapproval of chasing numbers, the infinite mindset does recognize the need for metrics that can measure performance and trust before assigning value to team members. At CRPD, officers’ evaluations are more than performance reviews; they try to solve problems. Cauley measures the impact of his officers by judging how their work embodies the values of the department. He also hands out certificates of recognition to encourage employees based on performance and trust. He practices “one-by-one policing,” a method of operation that focuses on solving problems one at a time and finding solutions together. This creates a culture that devotes time and energy to solving problems. One example of “one-by-one policing” is the CRPD’s response to drugs and crime in the Castle Rock area. When a call was made that accused a neighbor’s house of selling drugs, CRPD officers simply knocked on the door rather than raiding or making arrests. They informed the tenants of the accusation and that they would be watching the house for suspicious activity. Over the following weeks, the police increased their presence by driving around, stopping for lunch, and checking on other houses throughout the neighborhood. Eventually, the original tenants realized they couldn’t sell drugs and left. Sinek argues the CRPD played the infinite game by acting without risking property damage or innocent lives. Moreover, the CRPD provides officers with regular trust-building workshops and a place to express vulnerability. As a result, both the police department and the community feel safe and supported by each other.

Sinek ends Chapter 7 by defining what makes a real leader: This type of leader possesses qualities like honesty and integrity and values the safety of their team regardless of failure or success. A high position of authority doesn’t make someone a leader. For example, the Marine Corps values leaders who build trust and work to overcome obstacles together. The responsibility of a leader is to ensure team members feel safe to share information freely, make mistakes, and receive or offer help when needed. To Sinek, leaders who prioritize trust over performance will be rewarded with improved performance down the line.