"What ever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." --- Napoleon Hill
Mastermind is a concept initially described by Napoleon Hill in his book "Think and Grow Rich" back in 1937. The idea is to bring together two or more people with a common mindset and create a Mastermind which is the whole group. If you like formulas, here is one that describes a Mastermind group:
1 mind + 1 mind + … = 3rd mind, the Mastermind!
Together members of a Mastermind group learn and grow. It's not for everyone as we don't all have the right state of mind to benefit from such a group. What it does require from its members is for them to be open to new ideas and have the willingness to change. This can be quite challenging, even frightening for some as many people tend to become comfortable where they are and resist change or embracing new ideas.
Mastermind is about sharing and teaching, learning and trust, supporting and encouraging. There aren't any guidelines written in stone about who can be part of a Mastermind group. In fact, prejudging someone can sometime mean loosing out on an extraordinary person. Think about it, would you benefit from spending time with people who had the same knowledge and experiences as you? Possibly, but you would probably benefit far more by being around people with skills and knowledge that compliment yours. So a Mastermind group could actually include married and single men and women who might be life coaches, carpenters, waitresses, cooks, mechanics, financial planner, parents, entrepreneurs, folks from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, the young and the young at heart. If you see the value in having a greater variety in your group, you just might be a good Mastermind candidate.
Mastermind is not and should not be used as a marketing tool to promote your goods or services, though you might meet people whose services or someone you know could find useful. If you are in it for marketing to the group, you will quickly find yourself being asked to leave or the group will fold. Either way, nobody will benefit. However even people in sales can benefit from being part of a mastermind group.
The potential for growth is really unlimited and a good group will encourage each other to grow at their own pace. When someone doesn't appear to understand the message you are attempting to share with them, it's possible that it simply isn't the right time for that person to embrace your vision. That's alright. You will find that you can only help those who want to be helped. Each member will embrace new ideas when they are ready.
Masterminding only works if you are willing to generally give more than you need to get. Don't worry about getting. If people in your group are givers, everyone will also naturally receive. All participants also need to be dedicated to the group. You can't expect to be able to rely on others if they can't rely on you.
While some Mastermind groups only last a few months, successful ones can last for years when you have the right people in it because they all recognize the value that The Mastermind brings to lives.
In part 2, I will explore some of the best practices on for establishing and running a successful and sustainable Mastermind group.
With warmest regards,
Life Coach Michael Milette
www.MichaelMilette.com
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Take what makes sense to you in life and leave the rest. --- Michael Milette
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