Anchored by a Just Cause, infinite games require courageous leadership. According to author Simon Sinek that means being willing to stand up to internal and external pressure to conform, in order to stay true to your cause.

Finite play favors conventional wisdom, and finite players spend most of their time in the past. That’s where their winning has taken place.

Infinite players take an abundant approach with less time spent on what happened. Instead, their effort and energy are focused on what is possible:

“By playing a single, non-repeatable game, they are unconcerned with the maintenance and display of past status. They are more concerned with positioning themselves to deal effectively with whatever challenges come up,” says a Farnam Street article about the concept of infinite players in James Carse’s extraordinary 2013 book Finite and Infinite Games.

Infinite play means a departure from the herd. And when leaders courageously forge new paths, try new things, or perhaps create a contrarian response to a crisis, they invite criticism.

We are living in unprecedented times. Right now, one in three Americans are working from home. Businesses and restaurants are closing their doors to the public. Schools are shut down for the rest of the academic year. Shelter-in-place directives are impacting our economies. Every day we are receiving new updates about new disruptions as we attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everyone everywhere is feeling disrupted in some way, shape, or form. And this disruption looks different for everyone. For some, they may be facing the fear of going out of business. For others, they may be juggling the additional responsibilities of childcare provider, housekeeper, teacher, cook, etc. Others may be dealing with the impact on parents or grandparents as they are forced to stay inside and not allowed any visitors. Some are being affected more drastically than others, but we are all feeling impacted in some way.

Now, more than ever, we need to look at those around us through an empathetic lens. In an age of sudden disruption, we can all come together and be unified in that we are ALL impacted in some way by this pandemic. For many, that means that priorities have suddenly shifted. Things that were so important just a couple of weeks ago are suddenly no longer at the top of the priority list. This also means that we must approach our conversations with our clients from a posture of seeking to understand the world they are living in and asking a different set of questions about how we can add value to them during these times.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Chad Peterman, President and Co-Owner of Peterman Heating, Cooling & Plumbing. We hope you enjoy Chad’s wisdom and perspective.

Blind spots are, by their nature, very frustrating. The main reason is because we cannot see a blind spot. We are oblivious to them. In leadership everything compounds. The impact we have multiplies by affecting those we are leading. Unfortunately, blind spots can compound our impact in a negative way.

Oftentimes our blind spots come in the form of our strengths. We may be great at getting things done. We may find fault in others who cannot get things done like we can. This creates a blind spot and inability to connect with that person. John Maxwell says, “We often see people as we are, not as they are.” This is the root of all blind spots.

If blind spots are so detrimental, how do we overcome them so that they don’t have a negative effect of our leadership ability? We must first understand that we need to be humble, coachable, and patient.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Mike Kemple, Director of Missional Chaplains. We hope you enjoy Mike’s wisdom and perspective.

Gaining an understanding of people, their unique giftedness, strengths, and flaws, is the starting point for empathetic leadership. 

When you examine an individual’s personality, you may find them soft, gentle, defensive, overt, indignant, manipulative, demanding, reserved, guarded, or cautious. We are also genuinely inquisitive and interested in who they are, and we enter into the essence of a redemptive sort of mystery.

This discovery brings you face-to-face with the self-centeredness that creates an environment of distrust, paranoia, and shame. You know that much of the human interaction is shaping and pushing us away from a place of hope, restoration, and peace.

So if you’re in a role of leadership or in a helping relationship, how do you make a meaningful connection?

At Gibson, giving back to the community isn’t just a transaction. It’s part of the fabric that makes up the core of our company. Gibson is always looking for ways to empower all team members to participate in a giving experience, whether that is through direct giving, input on corporate giving, group projects, through volunteer service, or board leadership.

“The first and final thing you have to do in this world is to last in it, and not be smashed by it.” – Ernest Hemingway

In Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game, the “winners” are those still in the game. Having the will and resources to continue playing the game, long after the other players drop out, will allow our organizations to stand the test of time.

A key part of Sinek’s philosophy revolves around Advancing a Just Cause. It’s what gives our work meaning. It is the world we hope to build and what inspires us to keep playing the infinite game.

Just Causes - and the Infinite Mindsets behind them - require resiliency. They must be durable enough to endure through political, market, technological, and cultural change over the years.

Likewise, so must the individuals that are doing the advancing. But how do we acquire resilience? Is it something we’re born with or can it be learned?

By now, we're all well acquainted with news of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), has now been confirmed in over 70 countries and has affected well over 90,000 individuals globally, resulting in over 3,000 deaths. While the vast majority of cases remain outside the U.S. at this time, it's never too ambitious to begin implementing prevention techniques in our homes and places of work. Below is a list of simple prevention techniques and travel best-practices in order to limit the possibility of COVID-19 spread and exposure:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Michigan First. We hope you enjoy Ron’s wisdom and perspective.

Leaders push boundaries. They’re the first to try out big ideas. But doing what has never been done is not without risks. All leaders will eventually experience obstacles and setbacks—it comes with the territory. One of the things that separate great leaders from the rest is their ability to adapt and navigate adversities.

Here are a few tips you can use the next time you’re down:

According to the American Heart Association, someone dies of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) every 37 seconds in the U.S. This accounts for 2,353 deaths from CVD each day, based on 2017 data, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. As is evident from these figures, it is extremely important that prevention becomes a part of your company culture by ensuring that your wellness program includes education and challenges centered on heart health and how to keep risk factors under control. This provides employees with a benchmark in order to begin working towards heart-healthier lifestyles. Living a heart-healthy lifestyle does take some effort because it involves changing daily habits, so it should be encouraged and exemplified within the workplace.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ben Berman, Certified EOS Implementer. We hope you enjoy Ben’s wisdom and perspective.

There’s a term to describe tempting opportunities outside of an organization’s core competencies: “Shiny Things.” 

Like sparkling diamonds or the flashing lights of fame, these opportunities beckon. Shiny things lure even the most rational leadership teams into poor strategic choices with real implications. When confronted with a new opportunity -- a shiny thing -- you’ll need to ask if it is a “core” or is it a “lure”? 

Let me illustrate by sharing an experience I had with a company implementing EOS® whose leader is an excitable, passionate Visionary.