I once went to a business strategy session by a consultant I respected. I am always game to learn more about strategy.
The first slide was strong, red and said WIN, yup all in caps!
I was lost on the very first slide. At times likes this I wish I was not so transparent – poker face has always alluded me. My expression of disbelief was running rampant.
I could not buy in.
I looked around wondering if everyone believed that the whole crux of business strategy was to win. I needed so much more. I left disillusioned.
In Simon Sinek’s new book, The Infinite Game, he talks about an infinite mindset that resonated with me: “No matter how successful we are in life, when we die, none of us will be declared the winner of life. And there is certainly no such thing as winning business.”
If you read my comments on Shoe Dog you know that I am attracted to the idea that there is no finish line and Sinek sees winning as a finite game, and compares it to business, where our primary objective is to keep playing. When a game is won it is over. The players go home.
I think this shift in business thinking has been ramped up by our experience with Covid and our drive to want more from our lives, our work, and to understand the impact of our words, thoughts, and lives.
An infinite perspective drives innovation, and if there was ever a silver lining of Covid it is the freedom it brought us to experiment. We had to try something new, nothing was the same, nor will it ever be. We have come to expect surprises and in the process surprised ourselves with brave and resilient attitudes that brought new opportunities.
My twist on the infinite game is that when our purpose is driven by serving others, rather than beating others, we create purpose-driven brands whose positive impact is infinite. The most sustainable way to build a business.
Are you ready to develop your PurposeBrand and have the impact you know you can have? DM me for more information.
