I used to think leadership was about speed. About being the first one in, the last one out, and packing every minute with motion. Emails, meetings, goals, KPIs; stack ‘me high and knock ‘em down.
And yet… I felt dull.
Then I heard Simon Sinek tell a story. Not about a billion-dollar exit or some swaggering Silicon Valley legend. No, it was about two lumberjacks. (Youtube Link Here)
They both started chopping trees each morning. One never stopped. The other took a break midday. But somehow, the one who paused always chopped more wood.
Why?
Because he went home to sharpen his axe.
That story hit me like a blunt blade. Suddenly I saw myself: swinging nonstop, proud of the grind, exhausted by it, and slowly losing effectiveness.
That was the first spark. Then I read The Infinite Game.
Simon reframed everything I thought I knew about leadership. He said business isn’t something you win. It’s something you sustain. A game with no finish line, no final scoreboard, just players who either endure or burn out.
And that clicked.
I wasn’t building a sprint. I was building something that I wanted to last.
That’s when I started thinking differently.
Sharpening Isn’t Laziness. It’s Leadership.
Simon doesn’t just preach rest. He preaches preparation. Sharpening the axe, in his words, means doing the deep work before you step into the arena.
Want better outcomes? Sharpen your clarity.
Want a stronger team? Sharpen your empathy.
Want to lead for the long haul? Sharpen your sense of purpose.
For me, that meant pulling back from the frenzy and asking myself some hard questions. What’s my Just Cause? Who am I building this for? What do I want this work to feel like five years from now?
It wasn’t comfortable. But it was necessary.
The Infinite Mindset Is the Only One That Endures
Simon’s infinite mindset isn’t about ambition. It’s about integrity.
He lays out five practices, but they don’t feel like rules. They feel like reminders.
1. Just Cause – Not a mission statement. A reason to exist that’s bigger than metrics and lasts longer than trends.
2. Trusting Teams – The kind where people feel safe enough to say, “I need help,” or “I made a mistake,” and still feel respected.
3. Worthy Rivals – Competitors who challenge you to get better, not people to crush or outshine.
4. Existential Flexibility – The courage to pivot, even blow up your own model, if it means serving your cause better.
5. Courage to Lead – Doing the right thing when it’s the hard thing. Especially when no one else is watching.
When I started to live by these, everything changed. Conversations got deeper. Decisions got clearer. Work started to feel more like craft and less like a checklist.
The Truth? I’m Still Learning to Sharpen
This mindset isn’t something you master and move on from. It’s something you return to. Over and over. Especially when the pressure mounts.
I still get caught in the rush. I still chase quick wins sometimes. But now I catch myself. I ask: Am I swinging just to swing, or am I sharp enough to make it count?
With that in mind I came up with this as a Memonic.
Simon’s work didn’t just inspire me. It gave me a language to lead by. A rhythm to return to. And a truth I’ll keep close:
The leaders who last are the ones who sharpen with love, lead with purpose, and play the long game.
Stay S.H.A.R.P. my friends!
