Find a place in your personal growth plan for a mastermind group. Because teams are generally associated with athletics or business projects, it may not be obvious that individual growth can also be a team goal. Mastermind is the name of such a team, where each member benefits from the expertise of the group. Masterminding is often used by high achievers.
What Is a Mastermind Group?
A mastermind group is generally a small group of like-minded people who meet regularly to support each other's growth. The group members may have similar or very different goals. The common denominator is that each member of the group accepts responsibility for supporting, advising, and challenging other members in pursuit of their goals.
Napoleon Hill
The origin of the term mastermind is attributed to Napoleon Hill, author of the 1937 book, Think and Grow Rich. Hill defined a master mind to be "created through harmony of purpose and effort, between two or more people." In his Law of Success course, Hill said, "Success in this world is always a matter of individual effort, yet you will only be deceiving yourself if you believe that you can succeed without the co-operation of other people."
Hill, in turn, credited his ideas to Andrew Carnegie, who had formed a dedicated staff of people for the expressed purpose of manufacturing and marketing steel.
Benjamin Franklin's Junto
Many years before Hill and Carnegie, Benjamin Franklin used a similar group process he called a Junto. Franklin said in his autobiography, "I had formed most of my ingenious acquaintances into a club for mutual improvement."
Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people. ~ Stephen Covey
Benefits of Masterminding
With your own mastermind group:
- You have your own personal staff dedicated to supporting you, challenging you, cheering you on, and inspiring you to achieve your goals.
- The group's interest and attention to your goals provides a subtle, yet powerful incentive for accountability.
- The group's individual perspectives, experiences, and wisdom are compounded on your behalf, providing a synergy well beyond that of each individual.
- The group's non-judgmental support encourages you to openly share your fears and dreams, getting them out into the open where they can be dealt with effectively.
Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ~ Kenyan Proverb
How to Structure a Mastermind Group
- Select a small group of four to six positive, trustworthy people you know and respect.
- Invite them to join a group of like-minded people, all of whom are energetic, positive, and dedicated to personal growth.
- In the first meeting, establish the ground rules for the group, such as: positive support, encouragement, accountability, non-judgmental, commitment to everyone's success.
- Establish a regular meeting schedule, including responsibilities for hosting and facilitating meetings.
How to Run a Mastermind Meeting
- Strive for a relaxed, quiet environment for the meetings. Someone's home or a private room in a restaurant or coffee shop is appropriate.
- Dedicate sufficient time, perhaps two hours or more for a group of four to six people.
- Many groups include a meal or refreshments to add a social component to the meeting.
- Remind each person that the group is positive and supportive. Criticism and opinion are discouraged if not downright prohibited.
- Normally each person spends a few minutes describing past accomplishments (since the last meeting), outlining current goals and challenges, and asking for any help or direction required.
- The group responds with support and encouragement, along with suggestions, ideas, and advice that is appropriate.
- Each meeting should be facilitated to keep it moving smoothly. This can either rotate or be the host member's responsibility.
Mastermind Your Way to Success
Though your growth is personal and individual, something only you can accomplish, you will benefit by the support, encouragement, and energy of others.
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Jerry Lopper - IPPA member, business and engineering degrees. Jerry's passion for personal development shows in 5 books, hundreds of articles & ...
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