When I first learned about the zero-sum game in my Economics 101 class, it seemed like a neat academic concept. A simple equation: one party’s gain is another’s loss. It made sense in the realm of game theory, useful in modeling competitive behavior in markets, negotiations, or international trade.
But over time, I’ve come to realize something deeper.
Zero-sum thinking isn’t just a mathematical model. It’s a mindset and one that silently shapes the way we make decisions, lead teams, and build businesses.
Let me explain.
Not long ago, I was in a conversation with two colleagues. The topic shifted to the “people first” approach in business. One of them challenged the other with a half-joking, half-serious remark:
“Yeah, for you, ‘people first’ really means ‘people first’…if you don’t have to give up profit.”
That single sentence triggered a heated debate: people vs. profit.
What struck me wasn’t the disagreement itself, but the invisible assumption beneath it that prioritizing one automatically means sacrificing the other. There was no room for the idea that both could grow together.
That’s when I saw it clearly: this was the zero-sum game mindset in real time.
We fall into this trap more often than we think.
It shows up in conversations about efficiency versus creativity, speed versus quality, and innovation versus stability. We treat these as mutually exclusive either/or rather than seeking creative ways to integrate them.
But what if we flipped the script?
What if, instead of assuming a fixed pie, we embraced the idea of a positive-sum game where collaboration, trust, and innovation can expand the value for everyone involved?
What if “people first” isn’t a cost to profit, but a driver of it?
This mindset shift, from zero-sum to positive-sum, is subtle but powerful. It opens the door to co-creation, to shared success, to sustainable performance. It’s not naive optimism. It’s a more sophisticated, systemic way of thinking about value creation.
I believe part of the reason we default to zero-sum thinking is the constant polarization we’re exposed to. News headlines, social media, even workplace dynamics push us into corners: pick a side, defend it, reject the other.
But in reality, mindset is a choice.
We can choose fear, scarcity, and competition.
Or we can choose curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.
The zero-sum game belongs in textbooks.
But in real life, in leadership, and in business, it’s the positive-sum game that moves us forward.
Learning for Performance 