When we view the market we operate in to be finite, we behave a certain way. If our goal is to have the whole pie and believe there is a pie then we will compete, fight for our share, and see others as competitors. In fact, if we talk about a pie, we give away our thinking as it conveys finite-ness. Finite thinking is a close cousin of scarcity thinking.

And yes, some things are finite – like a particular role at organisation X, but jobs and work is infinite.

If our view is infinite and abundant, do we become open to sharing, collaborating, and exploring together? Not bullying others or walking over them, but exploring together and understanding ‘enough for today’.

If we shift our perspective does our behaviour change?

Exclusivity is a wholly different animal; it suggests some people are welcome and others not or that we choose with whom we want to spend time and energy. Exclusivity can be extremely useful as a tool – to test an idea, to identify requirements, to gather feedback. We tend to be exclusive we when invite people for dinner, a wedding, to do market research.

Understanding the difference is critical and helps us make better choices.