FINITE AND INFINITE PERSPECTIVES
ON
POWER
Our basic assumptions about power have a profound impact on our behavior and consequently our personal and professional success. The chart below outlines the consequences of
viewing power as scarce—the Finite Perspective, or abundant—the Infinite Perspective. Too
often we automatically chose the finite perspective with its inherent power-limiting consequences. With the awareness offered, you can begin to more consciously chose the Infinite
Perspective with its expansive potential if and only if it is appropriate to the situation at hand.
THE FINITE PERSPECTIVE
THE INFINITE PERSPECTIVE
Fundamental supposition: Power is scarce.
Fundamental supposition: Power is abundant.
A zero-sum, win/lose game.
A positive-sum, win/win game.
The purpose of playing a finite game is to
establish a winner.
The purpose of playing an infinite game is to
continue and maintain play of the game.
Playing finitely easily evokes defence of selfesteem and identity. Deception and secrecy
become strategies of choice.
Playing infinitely evokes cooperation, openness, and compassion from insisting that
everyone must win including oneself.
This is a game that is played very seriously
because our survival is perceived as at
stake.
This is a game to be played well-even playfully—because our self-esteem or sense of
identity is not at stake.
Differences are used to define who is winner
and who is loser. Differences are, therefore,
threatening. Conformity is safe.
Differences are valued and safe. As the only
source of learning, differences stimulate
curiosity, creativity, and synergy.
As players, we freely choose to play finitely
although we often lose sight of there being
an alternative.
As players, we freely choose to play
infinitely whenever we remember it as
a possibility.
"Power is scarce" is a self-fulfilling, win/lose
"Power is abundant" is a self-fulfilling, win/win
prophecy because partnerships are temporary prophecy because potential partnerships
and finite in number.
are secure and infinite in number.
The finite perspective is the paradigm of
of choice only when physical survival is a
moment-to-moment issue.
The infinite perspective is the paradigm of
choice when growth and learning are primary
goals.
The win/lose of the finite perspective always becomes lose/lose whenever one’s sense of selfesteem or identity is all that is at stake and actual physical survival is not.
Adapted from Power, the Infinite Game by Michael F. Broom, Ph.D. and Donald C. Klein, Ph.D.
Rev. 6/02