Game Sees Game

“Perhaps we’ll never know how far the path can go, how much a human being can truly achieve, until we realize that the ultimate reward is not a gold medal but the path itself.”

– George Leonard

Last week we celebrated the inaugural “411 Day” appropriately on April 11th. We hosted a webinar for over 1,400 and shared ahas on a decade of lessons we’ve learned since The ONE Thing was published. We also discussed a podcast I recorded with Gary Keller on the same subject. My favorite part of both conversations was the idea that “game sees game.”* 

“Game sees game” is the idea that people on the path to mastery can recognize one another. Mastery requires a commitment to being the best you can be. You show up differently. You approach work like a learner, not an expert. You ask more questions. You complain less. You strive. When you show up like this, it does wonders. People ahead on the path are far more likely to invest in and open doors for those they recognize as also seeking mastery. 

KW MAPS Coaching vice president Jen Davis shared, “Five years ago I was a buyers’ agent.” Since then, she has been invited into a series of bigger opportunities. “Mastery,” she shared, “puts you in a different room.” 

Now, “buyers’ agent” is a bit of an understatement. When I met her she was selling over 100 homes a year. By 2017, with the help of an executive assistant and a couple of showing agents, Jen sold over 225 homes annually. In 2019, she became CEO and co-owner of the Holt Homes Group. Today, she’s running one of the largest coaching companies in the industry. It’s not an accident Jen Davis got invited into bigger and bigger rooms. 

The takeaway is clear: You will never regret committing to the path of mastery. Many are afraid to commit so much to one thing for fear of missing out. In the short run, yes, that commitment may prevent you from doing other things. In the long run, however, that commitment could open doors you never imagined. 

One question to ponder in your thinking time: Who do I want to become and how do I need to behave to get there?

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan

Co-author of The One Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent ​

* A note for hip-hop fans. “Games sees game” is something our publishing director, April Murphy, shared after reviewing the podcast. Though related, I think “game sees game” is not the same as “game recognize game,” a lyric from the 2002 mega-hit Fiesta (Remix) by Jay-Z and an artist who believed he could fly and got caught instead. “Game recognize game” is about how when incredible talent arrives, lesser talents will naturally show them respect. It also says that others will look up to and be attracted to them.

It’s two different perspectives. “Games sees game” is about how people on the path view others seeking mastery. “Game recognize game” is about how those further back view those ahead.