Our lives and careers are finite, but the game we’re playing is infinite. The best leaders, teams and organizations keep their eyes on the long-term Mission, Vision and Values of the operations while bringing effective action to the present moment. Simon Sinek and other thought-leaders continue to shine a light on purpose, trust and courage for the journey.
SHOW NOTES
1:07 – If 2020 has taught us anything, we are all living a finite life but we are also playing an infinite game. Jasons explores the meaning and thoughts behind today’s episode topic and discussion.
2:51 – Thanks everyone for listening to season 3 thus far! More great stuff to come, if you like the podcast, please rate and review the podcast online on Apple podcasts or Google podcasts or wherever you listen as it really really helps out the show.
3:20 – There are reminders about our finite lives everywhere. The pandemic has brought this to light to us all. It causes us to step back and reflect on this. So many businesses closing and jobs being lost are all reminders that life doesn’t always remain how we thought it would. It is a fine line that we live finite lives.
Be grateful for today. Make the most of what’s right infront of us.
5:07 – It is an opportunity to be here now and to love and appreciate the people in our lives that are with us in co-creating the life that we want. Jason shares a personal story from before COVID about losing his parents in the last 5 years. It was not expected and watching their lives come to an end earlier than any of us thought they would makes Jason remember that our lives are finite and is something that Jason has reflected on. It has made him and his wife, Amy to make sure that they are seizing the day and they do it!
6:20 – The best leaders teams and organizations that have gone through tough times and gone through things have been built to last over time. No business is guaranteed to go on forever. It is a reminder that the best leaders are embracing the finite of life but also choosing to play an infinite game. The game that they play in business is often an infinite game. Their impact and effectiveness are tied to longer-term goals. The best, if you study them, are the ones that have a mission, vision, and values that are long term.
8:15 – Simon Sinek’s latest book, The Infinite Game tackles this concept. The best teams and organizations bring that infinite mindset.
What is the mission of what we are trying to accomplish for the long haul?
9:30 – We are seeing it in the long haul of social justice that we are experiencing today. We know that we need immediate action today but the reality is it is also an infinite game. Irradicating racism as people is part of the infinite game to make the world better.
10:45 – Reflecting about the concept of a finite life and infinite game to our teams and organizations we need to realize a couple of things. Some teams and organizations when they only live in that finite world they get so fixated in those quarter to quarter results that they lose sight in the long-term vision and the infinite game they are actually playing. The ones that play that longer game begin to have more effective results in the shorter terms.
11:23 – 4 Reminders about this infinite game is
- We need to have aspirational purpose. That we aren’t just fixated on the quarter by quarter results without seeing the big picture.
- In the finite days that we have, how can we seek progress every day toward our aspirational purpose?
- Building trust is essential for the long-haul. See below on the podcast about this topic.
- We need to have the courage to lead.
13:30 – Jason talks about the episode Trust The Process and what are the elements of trust we need to build in our organization.
15:00 – The term leadership has been hijacked. We throw the term around so loosely. Often people are in a position of power but they don’t necessarily lead. If only our company had more leadership, we need to define what we need in true leadership. Jason talks about what true leadership is and why it is needed now for your organization.
Questions to Ponder:
- What do you need to be grateful for and appreciative of in this finite life? – So we can seize this day!
- What is your just cause or what is your aspirational purpose for you individually or for your team or organization?
- How are you building trust throughout your organization, your family, whatever it is?
- How are you showing courage with others?
Remember, maybe living a finite life but we are also playing an infinite game. An infinite mission, infinite vision, and hopefully infinite values that carry on beyond us. So in the midst of our finite life how do we keep our eyes fixated on that infinite game that we are trying to lead progress.
If you like the podcast, have a question, or just want to share your thoughts for about daring to begin please leave a comment below or please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
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ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT
Conversations and micro-thoughts to engage your mind and heart.
A thermostat is proactive. It sets the temperature in a room. Controls the temperature. Regulates the temperature. But in today’s distracted, fast-paced and digital world, it’s easy for individuals and organizations to act more like thermometers, slipping into reactionary thinking, becoming scattered and inconsistent. The most compelling leaders, teams, organizations, families or collection of humans of any kind operate in thermostat mode. They calibrate their mind and heart to set the temperature for the vision and culture they want to create. Jason Barger, globally celebrated author, keynote speaker, and founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting, is the host of The Thermostat, a podcast journey to discover authentic leadership, create compelling cultures and find clarity of mission, vision, and values.