Simon Sinek on being a visionary in The Infinite Game

Holly Branson
Holly Branson's writing
Published on 22 January 2020

It was such a joy to sit down with my good friend, the wonderful Simon Sinek, to talk all about his new book and international bestseller, The Infinite Game, as part of my Meet the Author interview series.

In case you haven’t heard of Simon, he’s a TED Talk icon; five-time author; leadership guru and a self-confessed, unshakable optimist. I think Simon is one of the most influential thought leaders of our time who is changing the face of business, one book at a time!

When The Infinite Game first came out, I couldn’t put it down. I read it in two days and found myself recommending it to everyone. In fact, I told Simon I’d be happy to help send it to politicians all over the world. This book has much to teach leaders in every field: business, charity, government and education. It’s a true game-changer.

For businesses, it’s a brilliant blueprint to achieve long-lasting success by focusing on a long-term vision (‘Just Cause’) and the entire business journey (‘The Infinite Game’) rather than an end-goal or short-term objectives. As Simon so eloquently states: “There’s no such thing as ‘winning’ at business.  No one is ever declared the winner of business or the winner of careers! How can you win or be the best in a game that has no finish line?”

Image from X & Why
Image from X & Why

As someone who is passionate about business being driven by purpose, I particularly enjoyed how The Infinite Game explains that companies need to understand where the world is going and how their business can make it better. To do this, you need a clear vision of why your company exists. Simon defines this as your ‘Just Cause’. He goes so far as to say the role of ‘CEO’ ought to be changed to ‘CVO’ – Chief Vision Officer. Just brilliant! 

As I read Simon’s thoughts on vision, I was reminded of my Dad and the vision he has created for Virgin. Being a visionary leader came naturally for Dad, but I was curious to understand if it’s a skill that can be learned. 

Image from Ben Wilkin
Image from Ben Wilkin

I’ve dedicated much of my career to helping businesses find their purpose, and it was nice to find so many parallels between our lines of thinking.

Simon’s books really get you questioning the meaning behind your roles in your life and how you can leave a more positive impact on everyone and everything around you. It uses some fascinating and real examples so you can learn from other individuals and businesses on how to 'do business for good’ in the modern world and how to avoid the pitfalls. So informative and inspiring! 

Image from Ben Wilkin
Image from Ben Wilkin

I can’t thank Simon enough for letting me pick his brain and to x+why for hosting us in your beautiful venue. I hope you find the interview as insightful as I did!