Intro
Ryan Hardy
Sam Hinkie
2 GMs from 2 different sports. Hockey and Basketball.
One overarching principle has allowed them to make a name for themselves...
What is it?
They are playing the infinite game.
Simon Sinek’s most recent book about the infinite game gives us a great jumping-off point:
In finite games, like football or chess, the players are known, the rules are fixed, and the endpoint is clear. The winners and losers are easily identified.
In infinite games, like business or politics or life itself, the players come and go, the rules are changeable, and there is no defined endpoint. There are no winners or losers in an infinite game; there is only ahead and behind.
The more Simon started to understand the difference between finite and infinite games, the more he began to see infinite games all around us. He started to see that many of the struggles that organizations face exist simply because their leaders were playing with a finite mindset in an infinite game. These organizations tend to lag behind in innovation, discretionary effort, morale, and ultimately performance.
The leaders who embrace an infinite mindset, in stark contrast, build stronger, more innovative, more inspiring organizations. Their people trust each other and their leaders. They have the resilience to thrive in an ever-changing world, while their competitors fall by the wayside. Ultimately, they are the ones who lead the rest of us into the future.
Simon now believes that the ability to adopt an infinite mindset is a prerequisite for any leader who aspires to leave their organization in better shape than they found it.
Let’s half-life this message…
If you leave the organization in a better place than you found it and you “gave” to the organization, you played the infinite game.
If you were short-sighted, tried to do well while you were there, and “extracted” from the organization, you played a finite game.
Have a succession plan, have a long-term view, improve it while you are there and there might even be additional value-added you don’t get to see until after you’ve moved on.
A hockey game is finite. A hockey organization should be playing the infinite game.
Hardy Built “ The Machine”
Ryan Hardy was hired by the Chicago Steel before the 2018-19 season.
His goal from Day 1 was to develop and produce more players than what had been standard for USHL teams. He envisioned a “player development machine.” Drop the players into the holistic, intentional environment… The Machine… and out come NHL draft prospects that have transformed in all 4 coactives of the player development model:
What has “The Machine” created?
“The Steel had five players from the 2019-2020 roster selected in the 2020 NHL Draft, the most of any independent junior team in the world, and are expected to eclipse that mark in the 2021 NHL Draft (including potential #1 overall pick, defenseman Owen Power), solidifying the franchise as the world’s foremost producer of NHL Draft selections of any independent junior team.” -USHL.com
The Machine was also for staff development and advancement
Succession plan when Moore was promoted to the AHL. Sheahan was always the guy to be the next head coach from Day 1. The day Greg Moore was hired by the Marlies, this statement said it all:
“Today, we move from strength to strength,” said Robbins. “Brock was hired 18 months ago to become Greg Moore's successor, and the skill development of our defensemen and our special teams success reflect Brock's deep knowledge, attention to detail and teaching abilities.
Bad teams are shocked and scramble when a coach gets promoted.
Average teams go outside and find the best-looking “resume and experience.”
Great teams expect their staff to get promoted and already know who the replacement is.
The hallmark of an infinite player is leaving the organization in a better place than you found it. In some instances like Hardy’s, he had success while he was there. However, the beautiful thing is, they were only 3 years into building the organization into the model. Hardy was just laying the groundwork for what is to come. In a USHL.com article, Hardy sums up the idea that the best dividends might not pay while you’re with the organization:
“I expect that it will take a long time for the impact that we have made here to be fully understood,” continued Hardy. “I am certainly proud of the Clark Cup, the Anderson Cups, the Eastern Conference Championships, the league records, the league awards, the NHL Draft picks, and all the accolades that we've accumulated, but I am most proud of the way we have done it. This organization is changing the game of hockey and is set up to continue to do so for years to come. I am so blessed to have been a part of it.”
Hardy is an infinite player, and the Steel organization is the infinite game. He recently took a job in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. The Steel will go on without him and they won’t miss a beat.
Hinkie Started “The Process”
Sam Hinkie began “The Process” with the Philidelphia 76ers. He knew they couldn’t be competitive right away, so he planned to win a championship when there was no competition to do so… 5 or more years in the future.
He also knew he wouldn’t see this process through to completion. The tough decisions he was going to make to play the infinite game were going to result in some version of Sam:
Getting fired
Being hated by the fanbase and asked to resign
Moving on at the right time before it was finished
He wouldn’t see the fruits of his labor. He wouldn’t get all the glory. The prize might come from the Sixers so far down the line that they won’t even remember he was there. But he did the job anyway.
His resignation letter is worth the time to read, here are the cliff notes of how he set up the Sixers for future success:
In the upcoming May draft lottery, we have what will likely be the best ever odds to get the #1 overall pick (nearly 30%), a roughly 50/50 chance at a top-2 pick (the highest ever), and a roughly 50/50 chance at two top-5 picks, which would be the best lottery night haul ever. That same bounce of a ping pong ball (almost a flip of a coin) will determine if we have three first round picks this year (unusual) or four (unprecedented). That’s this year. Or this quarter, if you will.
If you were to estimate the value of those firsts and the ones to follow, from this point forward we have essentially two NBA teams’ worth of first round pick value plus the third most second round picks in the league.
From Page 12:
Your club is on solid footing now, with much hard work yet to be done. As we continued to invest in young players, acquire more draft selections, and maintain cap flexibility the forward-looking markets took notice. Our Future Franchise Rankings (ESPN’s) that began at 24th in a 30-team league in May of 2013 climbed to 19th in 2014, 17th in 2015, and most recently via RealGM’s rankings in December of 2015, 12th. I think that is imminently reasonable, as is a couple of spots higher.
Hinkie had to:
Take a bad situation. Execute on contrarian opinions to create an edge. And leave it better than he found it to give the next person a head start.
He could have tried to force it. He could have extracted from the organization to “win now.” He could have traded multiple first-round picks away for current superstars and “sold the farm” to do so… But that isn’t how the infinite player views the world.
What Infinite Players Do/Don’t
What can we learn from Hinkie and Hardy? I think their masterclass can be taught in 2 subjects.
Add Value Now
Build a deep, root system for which is the bedrock the organization will build on top of.
Have the Longest View in the Room
Know what the final machine looks like and build intentionally towards that without skipping steps. Know where you are in the process. One of two things must happen to play the infinite game well:
Give the staff more than 3 years. Wooden won NCAA in his 16th season as HC. Jon Cooper spent 7 seasons with Tampa Bay before winning a cup. Damien Hardwick was HC of Richmond’s AFL team for 7 years before winning their first premiership. They need time.
-OR-
Improve the current conditions, lay the groundwork, and let it be known that your time is meant to be built on top of and not just scrapped.
Succession plans perpetuate success in the infinite game.
Have successors already on staff, that way you don’t have to go scramble to find “fits”.
How Infinite Players Play
Here are a few ways to play a more infinite game to help leave your organization better than you found it:
Talk to Everyone
To have a succession plan, you need successors. People that share similar philosophies on organizational goals, player development, staff development, communication, etc.
You’re not going to find them talking to the same group of people you have always talked to. Chances are your former teammates are at the same level or higher in coaching. They don’t want your current job.
I’m always trying to introduce myself to coaches with 10 years more experience than me, as well as brand new coaches. Working both ends of this barbell allows connection to a group that is going to hire you and a group of people you’re likely to hire in the future.
Don’t Interrupt, Build on Top
Let’s stick with the machine idea.
2 scenarios.
The first one will outline how most teams operate.
A coach gets hired. He starts building “his machine.” He puts a culture, systems, behavioral standards, game model, routine, and a teaching curriculum in place.
In 3 years or less... Coach gets fired or moves on.
The new coach comes in with “his way of doing things.” He says sure this machine works, but I’ll build my own.
You’re interrupting the build and starting over. Inefficient.
The second is how the Steel chooses to operate.
A coach gets hired. His successor gets hired and put on staff to be groomed for the job. The staff builds the machine together. More hands and brains improve the quality and speed of the build. They implement a shared culture, systems, behavioral standards, game model, routine, and teaching curriculum.
In 3 years or less, that coach gets promoted into a higher-level job. The new coach is already on staff, seamlessly transitions into the HC role, and builds on top of what is being done.
If you’re building something that compounds, the worst thing you can do is interrupt the compounding. (not financial advice) The Steel learned this Charlie Munger lesson.
(image credit to Jack Butcher at VV)
Building on top continues the compounding. Hiring the way most do will interrupt the compounding advantage. When you don’t interrupt, you can build more and go further. Infinite organizations are the solid line.
How can you play a more infinite game where you are?
Go on to read Part 2: Click Here
This has been a collaboration with Kevin Nogueira.