Simon Sinek is best known for popularizing the concept of ‘WHY’ in his 2009 TED Talk, making it the most-watched TED talk of all time. Simon talks leadership, and shares why having a finite perspective in business puts you on the losing end of an otherwise infinite game.  

Key Takeaways

[3:15] There are two types of games: Finite games, which have known players, fixed rules, and a winner and a loser. Infinite games have known and unknown players. The rules are changeable and there’s no finish line.

[4:15] When we play to win in a game that has no finish line, there is a decline in trust, cooperation, and innovation.

[4:35] There are five ways to adjust your business to the game we’re in.

1. Your business has to work to advance a just cause.
2. Build trusting teams.
3. Study worthy rivals.
4. Have a capacity for existential flexibility.
5. The courage to lead.

[7:00] When we hit the goal, it’s very exciting, but just like working out; it doesn’t stop. We have to keep doing it for the rest of our lives.

[8:40] In our society, we tend to gamify our goals, but it goes against our longer-term goals.

[10:10] There is a decline of loyalty in companies. Companies are not loyal to people, and therefore people aren’t loyal to them.

[12:05] It is the leader’s responsibility to create an environment where trust can exist.

[15:00] The difference between being stressed at work and passionate about work is whether or not we believe in what we’re doing and that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

[16:35] We become obsessed with our competitors and try to beat them because we are obsessed with the finite game. The way we define what’s ‘number one’ is arbitrary.

[22:15] During the pandemic, we’re forced to change and re-invent ourselves as people and as the business. 

[27:50] The internet put a lot of companies out of business and that took decades. The pandemic is doing the same but over days/weeks.

[29:40] Instead of thinking in one- or two-year terms, or even 10-year terms, think in 1,000-year terms. This would be at least our fourth pandemic, by now.

[33:25] The younger generation has seen first-hand the failings of the way we run businesses now. This pandemic will affect them the way the war affected our grandparents.

[36:15] You can’t achieve success in five steps or in seven steps, yet business magazines are writing to grab our short attention spans.

[39:15] Remember, in business, it’s the journey. It is the journey. It’s not the destination — that’s what motivates us.

[42:30] Let yourself grieve during these traumatic times. You are experiencing trauma and it’s okay to ask for help.

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Quotable Quotes

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is stress. Working for something we love is called passion.” Share on X The language of so many leaders today is about being number one or being the best, but based on what? Share on X “There is no such thing as winning in a game that has no finish line.” Share on X “We actually have to adjust the way we think about our businesses to play for the game we’re actually in.” Share on X Most of our goals are arbitrary numbers with arbitrary dates. Share on X “The only true competitor in business is ourselves.” Share on X “Gone are the days when someone works to get a gold watch. There’s an entire generation of employees that have no idea what I’m talking about.” Share on X “We have no choice but to change. We have to throw out the old business model.” Share on X People don’t fear change. They fear sudden change. Share on X

Additional Resources:

• Simonsinek.com
• Simon on LinkedIn
• Follow Simon on Twitter @Simonsinek