On this episode we sat down with Curt Stedron, director of NCSL’s Legislative Training Institute, to discuss a presentation he made at this year’s Legislative Summit in Boston on how game theory can help legislative leaders better understand the notion of leading in an infinite game. 

Stedron draws on the work of game theorist James Carse and author Simon Sinek, who popularized Carse’s theories. Stedron explained that the legislature, like many other areas of life, is really an infinite game, where the purpose is to perpetuate the game rather than win it. 

However, as Stedron explains, most people, including many of those in the legislature, actually approach their work as a finite game and that misconception can hamper their efforts to be effective leaders.

Resources

• Legislative Training Institute, NCSL