What does Good Look Like?
I interviewed Tarkyn Lockyer for Crisis Talks recently. We spoke about leadership and performance and his transition from player to coach over the past ten years One of the key things he has been challenged by is “Trying to get away from the thought that there is a perfect performance… Any meeting, any interaction is an opportunity to learn and to get better. There is no such thing as a perfect performance , There’s no “Home Run Meeting” where every word you say the players are hanging off, and you’re like Tom Cruise standing in the board room!”
Our conversation reminded me of Simon Sinek’s book, The Infinite Game, and how this relates to Sport. The “Finite” games are the week-to-week opportunities when teams go out to perform. There is a start and a finish, and there is a result. The teams play, and they win, lose or draw.
The “Infinite” game is where the clubs and the sport are continually striving to grow. Whilst they are competing to win on the field, off the field they are striving to be their best or as Tarkyn put it “ they are always looking for a new learning.” The infinite game isn’t about winning or losing, it is about improvement and growth – and almost like “operating on another zen level” above everyone else around you.
It’s hard when you’re in a crisis to think about the long game. Whilst you are stuck in the here and now, thinking about a future state or strategy is extremely challenging. What I would say, however, that during a crisis, leaders must find a way to navigate seamlessly between the finite and infinite, addressing the immediate issues, whilst at the same time playing the long game.
- Know your why – During a crisis, more than ever, understanding and communicating your purpose helps to align geographically separated, and sometimes – completely isolated teams.
- Align your short and long term strategic goals and communicate a plan for achieving them. This ensures all stakeholders are aware of the plan, and can understand how they can support it.
- Seek opportunity to learn from crisis. If we treat a crisis as a finite game – a conflict between opposing forces – we risk addressing each situation defensively and alienating key stakeholders.
Subscribe to Crisis Talks on Apple Podcast or Google Play.