Do you know any high achievers, if you do, you know they surround themselves with exceptional resources.

Successful investment advisors surround themselves with best of everything, including but limited to: the best people, the best training, the best strategies, the best tactics, the best resources and the best opportunities.

The reason why? Success people don’t want to sit around and try to re-create the wheel. They realize that someone else has already spent hundreds of hours and literally thousands of dollars doing all the grunt work to be successful.

High Achievers want to do everything faster, cheaper, and smarter then their competitors every chance they get. They do not want to waste time or money spinning their wheels trying to find out what work and what doesn’t.

You always will hear people say, if I knew then, what I know now I could have been earning $20, $30, or $50,000 month 10 to 15 years ago. High Achievers does not have that problem. They seek, discover, and attach themselves to resources that will help them achieve their vision.

Of course you have to have a vision or goal is mind to begin with and most successful people do, no matter if they are an executives, entrepreneurs, or professional athlete. As an investment advisor your goal can be anything, because you control your destiny. If you don’t have a goal let me set one for you. From this point on your goal is to earn $50,000 a month. This is only the beginning. So now what do you have to do to earn $50,000 a month and what resources will you need?

The resources can be something as little as additional training or something more profound, like masterminding with like minded advisors who are already traveling down the yellow brick road to riches.

Masterminding is a supplement to additional training not a replacement. This is not a one or the other situation.

Masterminds are great because it allow people like you, who want to be high achievers to gain real world hands-on experience and knowledge from people have already done what you are trying to achieve. If a group of like minded advisors who are ready earning $20, $30, or $50,000 month can teach you exact what they are doing, so you don’t have to waste hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars trying to figure it out how to get on the fast track. Would you want to talk and collaborate with them? Of course you would. That’s a mastermind.

THE HISTORY OF MASTERMINDS

The term Masterminds was created and made famous in Napoleon Hill book Think and Grow Rich which was create from a series of books and report called the Laws of Success. Napoleon work was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie, the steel industrialist in 1907.

In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon defined Masterminds as: “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the sprit of harmony.” He also said, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be liken to a third mind.”

Napoleon Hill discovered and documented the fact that all of the 504 successful people he interviewed had a mastermind supporting/surrounding them. It was very consistent. Some were very open about it, while some protected their mastermind from view from the outside. But all used the principle massively and purposely.

Other people have defined masterminds as the process of bringing together multiple perspectives, maturity, experience, and wisdom from fields of accomplishments. To come together, to collaborate, to focus, to combine laser like precise attention on you, your business and improving it’s performance, profitability, and impact.

REASON TO JOIN A MASTERMIND

For years high achievers has kept a deep dark secret. The secret is the leveraging of intellectual “know how,” by tapping into the minds, methods, the experience, the maturities, and the mindsets of different successful people within and outside your business environment, your communities, your industry, and your field.

You want to deliberately and continually surround yourself with people who can lend to you the benefit of all the experiences…all the pitfalls… all the opportunities…all the years and year of experimentation…all the investment of time of human capital, of intellectual capital, of financial capital…they have already made ahead of you. And allow them to give you perspective, ideas, recommendations, and constructive suggestions and advice.

I absolutely encourage everyone in any business to join a mastermind or mentor group of their profession. Why would you want to take all of the extra time, all the extra expense, all the extra heartache doing it either ineffectually or doing it totally wrong when there are people eager to collaboratively help guide, counsel, adjust you before you make a commitment to do it right?

?You will be able to model other people success immediately
?You will be guided by a group of mentors which have “been there, done that”
?You will be exposed to a wide source and variety of ideas which you would not normally be exposed to.
?You will drastically cut the time it takes an idea, strategy, or tactic from a thought to implementation.
?Less trial and error. Streamline problem solving with group of like-mind individuals.
?You have people who can empathize with your situation and offer suggestions which are very specific and appropriate.
?Encouragement, motivation and accountability to your goals
?Access to people, resources, and library of information
?Network of support in a non-judgmental community

Research show that the reason why most people don’t reach their goals is not due to the lack of ambition, motivation or knowledge. According to research:

?37% is due to lack of information or know how to apply what they know.

?29% is due to lack of resources or access to the tools, systems, and people that make the difference.

LEADERS THAT USED MASTERMINDS

Did you know that Thomas Edison (inventor), Alexander Graham Bell (Telephone mogul), Henry Ford (Founder of Ford Motor Co.), and Harvey Firestone (Founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.) were all members of a Mastermind Group? This group of leaders knew something many of us did not. They knew they couldn’t create in a bubble, and therefore relied on each other for priceless feedback, ideas, accountability. This group of leaders met several times a year and named themselves the Wayfarers. The Wayfarers also controlled much of the industries in our county for many years.

In 1727, Benjamin Franklin convinced 12 of his to friends to form a club dedicated to mutual improvement. The club would meet every Friday to discuss the topics of the day. The club later named their meeting Junto, which is defined as a private forum for discussion and a stealth instrument for leading public opinion. One of the functions of the group was to brainstorm publicly beneficial ideas. Another function of Junto was to bring together ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvements. Junto lasted for 40 years and eventually became the heart of the American Philosophical Society.

People who have done the impossible have all had masterminds. Jesus personally selected 12 men and told them to follow him. The world was never the same.

Orville and Wilbur Wright were told they could never build make a flying transporter. Not all did they build the first airplane, but also created a billion dollar industry that never existed prior to their first flight.

Andrew Carnegie aggregated a team around him and built the world’s biggest steel manufacturing company.

Other Notable Masterminds
?Declaration of Independence
?Parliaments
?Congress
?12 Members of a Jury

Other Notable people interviewed by Napoleon Hill for The Laws of Success:

?Theodore Roosevelt- President of United States
?Charles M. Schwab- President of United States Steel Corp.
?John D. Rockefeller- Founder of Standard Oil Companies
?F.W. Woolworth- Founder of F.W. Woolworth Co.
?Woodrow Wilson- President of United States
?Wm. Wrigley Jr.- Founder of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.
?Julius Rosenwald- Chairman of Board, Sears, Roebuck Co.

FIND THE MASTERMIND FOR YOU

The hardest and most important part of any task in getting started in the first place. So here are some baby steps to get you started.

1.Find a Mastermind with that supports the goals you want achieve and hold you accountable.
2.The Mastermind should be composed of many different people with their corresponding perspectives, voices and opinions. This is absolutely vital.
3.Find a Mastermind that requires their clients to conform to basic rules of civilized behavior.
a.No arguing, negativity, value-judging or interrupting.
b.All member are required to attend and participate
c.The members should have mutual respect each other

Good luck and much success to those who take action!

About Xspology.com Inc.
Xspology.com is an executive coaching firm located in Atlanta, Georgia whose service specializes in creating optimization processes and marketing strategies for financial and investment advisors. Advisors can download 10 sample strategic marketing and optimization reports at Xspology.com.

For further information contact:
Bobby Ellis, President and CEO,
Phone: (404) 964-2927
Xspology.com

Napoleon Hill states that the road to success starts with your thoughts.  Your positive thoughts will lead to consistent actions and eventual success in your life, business and relationships. The greatest asset that we possess is our mind.  The greatest liability that we possess is our mind.  The mind is a double edged sword, because your actions and in-actions all stems from the space between your ears.  Failure arises when your mind is filled with negative thoughts that lead to total inactions.  I use the following four methods to eliminate the negative thoughts.

1. Positive Feedback

You are told on a consistent basis that you will never amount to anything for most of your life.  The odds are that you will begin to believe these statements made by your family and peers.  The mind is like fertile land that if you plant seeds with the proper food and nutrients, then strong plants will grow.  If you have a field that is overgrown with weed, shrubs and soil that is barren, then truly nothing positive will grow.  The first thing we would have to do is clear this field and then work on the soil to make it fertile.  Positive feedback is a great way to add fertilization to the soil.  When I was in Junior High School, a teacher that I did not even know stop me in the hallway and told that he was looking forward to having me in his class next year. He turned out to be Mr. Rosen my mathematics teacher in the ninth grade.  I received the highest Mathematics Regent score in the whole school and I walk the stage at graduation to celebrate that fact.  The positive feedback that I knew he was receiving from other teachers had a lot to do with him approaching me.  You must make list of incidents where people told you positive things about you to reinforce and strengthened your mind.

2. Mastermind Group

You must spend more time with the people that have your best interest at heart and less with the ones who don’t.  Mastermind groups of like minded individual who spend time building you up to help you achieve your goals are the best people to associate yourself.  You must cut out the negative naysayer that is currently in your life.  If they are preoccupied with telling you how to live your life, then you need to cut them out.  The most successful people have a network of positive and encouraging people.  One of the richest men in the World, Warren Buffet, give another of the world’s richest, Bill Gates, billions of dollars to invest in Bill Gates ’s charity.  I would definitely say that that relationship is one the best mastermind group in the World.

3. Storytelling

Superman is a superhero in a comic’s strip that narrates and tells his day to day life as a college student and as a super hero.  Who do you see yourself as Clark Kent or Superman?  I would like to say that most of us see ourselves as Superman.  We would want enjoy the satisfaction of saving lives and helping people without all of the hoopla.  We must visualize our lives the way we want it to be.  We can write our own story where we are the superhero and not the victim.  When you write your destiny the way you see it then your thoughts and actions will help you achieve it.  We sometimes suffer from the victim’s mentality where we ask Superman why he is trying to save us.  The victim has a strong desire to stay in his muck and mire and pull Superman down.  Superman uses his mental strength and ability to stop you from making him a victim.  Misery loves company, but you don’t have to be a willing companion.  Visualization is one of the best ways to eliminate negative thought so you may more forward and achieve success in your life, business and relationships.

4. Media Blitz

I repeat that the mind is one of the greatest assets in our life.  Our mind is also our greatest liability in our life.  You can control almost everything that is placed in your mind on a daily basis.  Personal development is a compilation of books, tapes, videos, seminars and audio that we listen or participated in.  You may choose to develop your mind to a strong entity that allows you success in your life, business and relationship or let become barren where nothing may grow on it.  The four methods above are great ways to overcome negativity on a regular basis.

“None of us is as smart as all of us.” Japanese Proverb

I’m sure that every one of you has heard the old adage, “Two heads are better than one.” Well, I’m positive whoever coined that phrase knew the power behind the importance of collective wisdom.

What is it about us women that we think that we have to do every single thing on our own? Do you think it’s because we have always been the nurturers and servers of the world, so we feel we have to know everything and do it ourselves? It’s kind of like driving around and around in a circle because you’re too stubborn to stop and ask for directions.

There are a whole lot of pluses when we stop and ask for support. There isn’t one thing wrong with giving ourselves permission to be vulnerable – to express our authentic selves and simply say, “Can you help me with this?” You’re going to hear one of two answers – either yes or no and usually people are more willing to lend you a hand than you think.

By opening up and allowing the collective wisdom of others to support you when you need it will allow your business to take quantum leaps to achieve the success you’ve always dreamed of having. Honey, let go of that idea of being the Lone Ranger. If you don’t, you could very well end up the Lone Stranger, sitting in a patch of dirt with no horse to get you out of the desert!

Here are my top 3 reasons why the power of collective wisdom is so important to your growth and success:

1.    Accountability.

Oh yeah, honey! If you’re part of a Mastermind group and you tell them, “I want to double my business this year,” you can bet they will hold you accountable to your commitment. Not only will they keep you ‘real,’ they most definitely will keep you from sabotaging yourself. It is true. You and only you are accountable for your actions. Nobody twists your arm without your letting them! So, wake up, Alice this ain’t wonderland! You either “Put up or Shut up.” 

2. Vulnerability.

Most of us really don’t allow ourselves to ‘get real’ about what’s really going on in our business or personal life unless we are working with a coach or mentor. Most of the time if someone asks us how things are going we tend to respond generically, ‘Fine.’ It is our fear of “What would they think of me if they really knew what was going on?” phobia. In a mastermind group you get to be you, warts and all. For me, vulnerability has been the work of all work for me, speaking about what’s really so important for me, and allowing myself to be supported and nurtured.

3. Commitment.

The coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Mark Victor Hansen, said, “One plus one, doesn’t equal two. It becomes the power of eleven.” Something magic happens when two or more people combine their single dream to form a dream team.

In this hurry up, fast food world we live in, how often do you get to truly connect with likeminded individuals whose only commitment is to assist you to create the success you want and deserve in your business and your life? A mastermind group not only shares their collective business wisdom, but they let you know how fabulous, smart, successful, and how powerful you truly are. They never let you forget the faith they have in you and power of your dreams. They never let you give up on yourself and your power. They will always be there for you.  

If you follow these 3 steps I can pretty much guarantee that your business AND your life will change for the better. You’ll find yourself searching less and less for solutions to obstacles you may run up against, as someone in your mastermind group already has ‘been there, done that, got the t-shirt’ and can help you in 30 seconds or less solve the problem – if you ask.

If you’re struggling to grow while juggling all the zillion things you need to get done in your business, maybe it’s time to turn to a mastermind buddy or group to support you get there faster. They’ll save you a whole lot less wasted time, energy and grief – if you ask.

Does the power of collective wisdom work? I say most definitely YES! We all need occasional support to create quantum leaps in our business and our life.

“No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force that may be likened to a third mind.” The driving force and the ninth step toward riches in Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich is the Power of the Mastermind. We gain power through the “Master Mind,” which he defines as “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

If we ponder a challenge on our own, we access our personal experience and knowledge. Adding another mind to solve the challenge adds their personal experience and knowledge. The accumulated experience and knowledge of two or more people grows the solutions to your challenges exponentially.

Parents know that who their children “hang out” with has a huge influence on their children’s decisions and choices. Why would that change when we become adults? Whom we surround ourselves with impacts us in all areas, financially, mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

Have you ever heard that a person’s income is the average of his or her five closest friends? What is the average for your five closest friends? How close is that to your income? I’m not sure who are the five closest friends to Oprah, Trump, or Bill Gates, but it would be safe to say that they surround themselves with people who help take them to the next level. Are the people you are choosing to spend your time with uplifting you? Are you uplifting to them? Hill endorses this: “We take on the nature and the habits and the power of thought of those with whom we associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony.”

We become like the people we associate with. Therefore, the first question to ask is, “Who do I want to become?” If you don’t know who you want to be, what you want to do, and what you want to have, how can you know who to associate with?

For example, let’s say you answer that the two things you want most are better health and more money. Next, look at your “inner circle” of the five closest friends/associates. In the physical arena, are these people thinking healthy thoughts, speaking healthy words, and doing healthy activities? If not, find another group who will help you gain the health you desire.

The same process applies to money. If your closest influences are lack-minded, poverty thinking victims who have no goals because they believe that other factors than their own thinking determines their financial situation, run as fast as you can away from these vultures. They will eat you alive! Find sources of people who are prosperity minded and take personal responsibility for their lives, especially their financial situation.

Masterminding is the Law of Attraction in action. As you become clearer on your goals and aspirations, you will notice people and other influences, particularly, TV and newspapers, and begin to eliminate those from your life. If someone very close to you, such as a parent or spouse, is toxic, it may be difficult to ignore his or her influence. However, choosing to surround yourself with the group that will take you where you want to go makes it easier to stop listening to those negative beliefs and replace them with ones that will help you on your path.

Becoming consciously aware is a very important first step. You have the power of choice. You can choose which people, books, TV shows and thoughts you allow in your life. When you do, you will take your life to a much higher level and start accomplishing your goals and dreams.

Do not stop just before you get the goal.

In The NEW Think and Grow Rich there is a story about a man who had plenty of tangible evidence of riches, but lost it, because he stopped three feet short of the goal he was seeking.

One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another.

The New Think And Grow Rich book would have saved these men from making an error. If they had known how to think around a problem and not be defeated at the first sign of difficulty.

An uncle of R.U. Darby was caught by the gold fever in the gold-rush days, and went out West to dig and grow rich.

He had never heard that more gold has been mined from the brains of men than has ever been taken from the Earth.

He staked a claim and went to work with pick and shovel. The going was hard, but his lust for gold was definite. After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore.

He needed machinery to bring the ore to the surface. Quietly, he covered up the mine, retraced his footsteps to his home in Williamsburg, Maryland, and then told his relatives and a few neighbors of the strike. They got together money for the needed machinery, and had it shipped to location. The uncle and Darby went back to work the mine.

The first car of ore was mined, and shipped to a smelter. The returns proved they had one of the richest mines in Colorado! A few more cars of that ore would clear the debts. Then would come the big killing in profits.

Down went the drills! Up went the hopes of Darby and Uncle! Then something happened! The vein of gold ore disappeared! They had come to the end of the rainbow, and the pot of gold was no longer there! They drilled on, desperately trying to pick up the vein again, all to no avail. Finally, they decided to quit.

The lessons learned in The New Think And Grow Rich would again have given these men a different outlook on their problem, therefore ending the feelings of wanting to quit and go home.

They sold the machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars, and took the train back home. Some junk men are dumb, but not this one!

He called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed, because the owners were not familiar with fault lines. His calculations showed that the vein would be found just three feet from where the Darbys had stopped drilling! That is exactly where it was found!

The junk man took millions of dollars in ore from the mine, because he knew enough to seek expert counsel before giving up.

Perhaps he had the insight found in The New Think And Grow Rich book, but came upon it in the form of wisdom that was passed along to him from his family . He would not have read the book yet so I would say that there was a desire and knowledge of human nature to help him make the right moves in the business world that would lead him and those associated with him to success.

Most of the money, which went into the machinery, was procured through the efforts of R.U. Darby, who was then a very young man. The money came from his relatives and neighbors, because of their faith in him. He paid back every dollar of it, although he was years in doing so.

Long afterward, Mr. Darby recouped his loss many times over, when he made the discovery that desire can be transmuted into gold. The discovery came after he went into the business of selling life insurance.

Remembering that he lost a huge fortune because he stopped three feet from gold, Darby profited by the experience in his chosen work, by the simple method of saying to himself, I stopped three feet from gold, but I will never stop because men say no when I ask them to buy insurance.

The life lessons of people who went on to become successful in future endeavors are the lessons we now are learning when we make a decision to study the book The New Think And Grow Rich.

Darby is one of a small group of fewer than fifty men who sell more than a million dollars in life insurance annually. He owes his stickability to the lesson he learned from his quitability in the gold mining business.

The NEW Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and Ted Ciuba is now available. It is a complete rewrite of the classic Hill title, Think and Grow Rich, known as the book that launched a million millionaires.

It can be quite a daunting prospect trying to form your mastermind group for the first time. You start to wonder where can you find the right people, questions start to be asked, you doubt the practicality of your efforts and eventually a cloud of uncertainty pollutes your mind. Soon enough, you may even drop the whole idea! To avoid descending into this pitfall, you must learn to make the power of the mastermind work for you, regardless of what you are pursuing.

The identity of a group is paramount to its success. By identity, I refer to the vision as perpetuated by the individual/s who founded the group. A mastermind group cannot achieve its desired results should the members lose focus or deviate from its vision. The vision stems from the reason why the mastermind group is put together in the first place. There must be a purpose, which not only serves the interests of one or two members in the group but that of the entire group. Hence, the challenge would be looking for the kind of people who would benefit from being in your group yet are savvy enough to offer something to your group. The foundation work done is crucial because you do not want a high turnover rate, when you realise that the members in your group are not quite like what you are looking for. Starting a mastermind group takes a lot of time and energy, and this energy must be reverberated throughout the group so as to bring out the best in the members. Therefore, it is recommended you take your time to source for the most suitable candidate’s possible for your group.

The next aspect is the selection of members for your group. Members constitute the most important element of any mastermind group. As in any venture, when human relations and emotions are involved, conflicts might arise and along with them, irreparable damage and subsequent split follows. Hence it is important to choose people who do not have a huge ego and think they are above everyone else. No matter how good they may be, these are the sort of people who would bring any group down, even if they might be your friends. In a business-like environment as delicate as this, friendship and past business relationships go out of the window. The overriding criterion for inclusion is the individual’s ability to bring significant knowledge to the group and the willingness to share that knowledge with others. A member must be willing to contribute to the group, be it through his experience, contacts, innovative suggestions or the energy that he offers. However, he must be willing to listen to the opinions of others as well. Though a leader can be appointed, there is no room for people who refuse to accept the views of others and tend to argue ostensibly. The general code of conduct of members is essential as well. Punctuality and commitment must be forthcoming. Members must share an insatiable thirst in the sourcing of solutions to problems and coupled by the positive outlook, which they are encouraged to adopt, the mastermind group has a good chance for success.

Even after you have your group in place and agreed upon a systematic way of working, conflicts can still occur when members disagree with one another. At this moment, I feel obliged to share with you a case study dating all the way back to January 28, 1986. A space shuttle named “The Challenger” exploded within moments of being launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the investigations that followed, it was found that an engineer warned of the dangers of the mission due to the low launch temperatures. However, the senior personnel involved in the launch of the shuttle, worried that the delay in the launch might cause them to lose out in contracts in the future, pressed ahead with the launch, resulting in the catastrophe.

Through this example, it demonstrates the devastating impact on any group should people who are ill make a decision advised and the rest have to follow suit. This applies to your mastermind group. If you are the leader, what would you have done should you sense a great business opportunity and decided to go for the kill, with members of your group urging caution? Or imagine that you belong to a mastermind group and the leader and the other members are in favor of a particular business decision, which you voice strong disapproval to.

Do you follow the group’s decision due to a majority vote even though you have a feeling that this project is doomed to failure? Would you want to get implicated by the group’s decision? Or do you brush aside that sentiment, and allow your group to convince you beyond all reasonable doubt of the project’s benefits, just because you do not want to be portrayed as a member who brings a negative vibe to the group?

To this, I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of the focus and the unity within the group. It would be best that members of the group share similar traits, have a shared ethical sense and generally display characteristics reminiscent to that you like it to be. This can in some ways alleviate some potential conflicts arising from a clash of personality to a certain extent but not totally. There can be no definite solution for these sorts of problems, as it deals with the sensitive nature of the emotional side of things.

There is not a soul in this world who does anything with the goal of failing. Likewise no one forms a mastermind group with the intention of it failing. While this article is definitely not exhaustive, it is hoped that it does aid in making the power of the mastermind work for you to a certain extent.

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Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” wrote about eleven attributes of leadership that are critical to be successful. The leadership attributes that I will discuss in this article is definiteness of decision.  Napoleon Hill believed that “people who waver in decisions show that they are not sure of themselves.  This author d id not list these attributes in any particular order of importance, but he felt that all or a combination of these attributes will make you a leader that your business partners will respect and appreciate.  Successful people make decision quickly and change them slowly, while unsuccessful people make decision slowly and change them rapidly.

We must be steadfast in the decisions that we make and not change them even when nothing is going right.  Steven Spielberg is an excellent example of this he made the decision to be movie director from a very early age.  Steven Spielberg kept focused on his endgame and he did whatever it took to make his dreams come true.  “Jaws”, his second film, released in 1975 broke box office and Steven Spielberg went on to phenomenal success. He did not give on his dreams and did something else when he was turned down.

The turtle outran the hare in that famous nursery rhyme because he had made a decision to finish the race no matter what.  The hare on the other hand felt that it was an easy win so he took a rest and when he decided to finish the race the turtle had already won the race.  When you make decision slowly and change them quickly, then you are destined to be an unsuccessful person.

These unsuccessful people do not have the intestinal fortitude to hold fast to their dreams.   The beautiful thing about personal development is that if you identify the obstacles in your path to success you can figure out a way to overcome them.  If you are a starter but not a finisher in your decision making processes. One way to get around that is get a finisher in your mastermind group.  The synergy of you as the starter and having a finisher would help you achieve your goals.

Napoleon listed the eleven attributes of leadership and he knew with desire you can become this successful leader.  You can become successful by mimicking the habits of successful people. You can become a person who has definiteness in the decisions that you make to become the successful person that you want to be.

Success in one’s endeavour is never created in a vacuum. Success is never a lone endeavour. Since early times great men have surrounded themselves with trusted advisors to guide them to success, thereby creating a mastermind around them. Napoleon Hill in the early 1900′s spoke of a mastermind as “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.” He continues “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.” Early biblical teachings in Mathew 18:20 reinforce this ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’

The reason mastermind groups are so powerful is that they bring together the resources such as money, time, experience, specialized knowledge and background of all the participants. To picture this principle at work imagine being given a stick and told to snap it in half. This can be accomplished easily by applying pressure on either end of the stick until it snaps. However give someone a bunch of sticks bundled together and tell them to do the same and you will find that it is not only much more difficult but may prove to be impossible. That is the mastermind principle at work, when you add the sticks together to form a bundle their strength aren’t just added together but they are magnified.

More…A mastermind has the ability to provide you with alternative views and insights that have come from their experience. The mastermind is a place where you can renew and revitalize mentally, spiritually and emotionally. This concept of revitalization and renewal was popularly presented in Stephen R Covey’s book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” through the concept of Sharpening the Saw. To picture how the mastermind group helps you to sharpen your saw is best described by Covey’s word-picture:

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.

“What are you doing?” you ask.

“Can’t you see?” comes the impatient reply. “I’m sawing down this tree.”

“You look exhausted!” you exclaim. “How long have you been at it?”

“Over five hours,” he returns, “and I’m beat! This is hard work.”

“Well why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?” you inquire. “I’m sure it would go a lot faster.”

“I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing!”

So now you know how a mastermind group can benefit you how do you create one?

Here are a few suggestions to ensure the longevity and success of your mastermind group:

1. Synergy. Napolean Hill was very insistent on the idea of synergy and harmony as being crucial to the mastermind groups success. It is easy to see why. If all the participants don’t have a unified vision or values then the seeds of disharmony and discontent may arise causing the group to stagnate or get bogged down with petty issues. In selecting your members of your mastermind careful consideration should therefore be made to ensure all participants understand the goals and values of the group. We all know what it is like when everyone is working in harmony, not only is the group more productive but it is also more conducive to greater overall success.

2. Support and Accountability. The real value found in a mastermind group is having a group of like minded people that can support and encourage you on your endeavours. In Proverbs 27:17 it states ‘Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.’ By being clear on each others goals and holding each other accountable to them can be a powerful way to encourage each other to the realization of each others dreams and goals.

No serious mountain climber climbs by themselves, they climb with a group and if the summit is steep and dangerous they attach a rope to each other to ensure the individuals safety. Should one person slip, instead of falling to their death they would fall as far as the rope will allow them. This support and encouragement should be a cornerstone of any mastermind group.

3. Consistency. You need to ensure that regular meetings are scheduled with the group. Whether you decide to meet weekly, fortnightly or monthly the meetings need to be regular enough to make the mastermind relevant and practical for all concerned. If some members cannot consistently make the scheduled meetings then careful consideration should be made as to whether all will benefit from their inclusion in the group. It is difficult to create beneficial relationships and support for each other if everyone is not able to meet together on a regular basis.

4. Win-Win. The goal of the mastermind is that it provides a platform to create win-win outcomes for all the members. It is important that no one single member monopolizes the discussion within the group and that everyone has an opportunity to present their questions for discussions. You may decide to use an agenda or outline for the group to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute in the group.

How many times have you set goals or made promises and found you could not keep or achieve them? Did you try and do it all on your own? If you did, you may have found it hard to stay motivated or keep track of everything you were doing.

In this busy day and age, it is easy to get distracted by many things in life. Sometimes a helping hand to get over the rough edges is all you need.

Through consistent participation in a MasterMind team, we gain valuable insights and bring new perspectives into our work and our personal life.

A group of people working together, thinking and sharing ideas, can help you see solutions and possibilities that you have never thought of before.

Many people have found that having the help of a MasterMind team to support them as they continued working toward their goals made a huge difference in their life. This is the goal of a MasterMind group. When you have a support team around you, it makes your life and your work much easier.

Working with the support of a MasterMind group helps you achieve whatever you want. You have likeminded people who will listen to your situation, ask questions to help you gain clarity and guide you with lessons they have learned from their own life experiences.

They give you ideas, information, clarity and inspiration that you can use to make the right decisions about your life and your goals.

Several studies have shown that MasterMind works because the combined energies of all the people involved, working together for one common good, is greater than the energy level of an individual.

Each session will result in you feeling energized, excited and enthusiastic. Having a Mastermind team around you creates the right energy, atmosphere and the right environment for success.

You most definitely want your group energy to be positive. You are looking for proactive people. Put the same thought and energy into choosing your MasterMind Team as you would when you are faced with any major life decision.

Choose (or build) a MasterMind team with people who want to succeed and want you to succeed. Optimistic people who expect good and positive results from their participation will give the group the best chance to be effective.

Invite the “givers” in your life. Choose those people who are good company and who enjoy helping and celebrating the success of others.

Do you know how sometimes you just can’t think of a good idea about a subject or project you are trying to work on? Well, that is exactly what a MasterMind group can help you with!

When you have a MasterMind group around, the ideas will begin to flow much more easily and smoothly because you will have willing partners who will be able to share their successful experiences with you.

Think of MasterMinding as the process of sharing ideas with each other. When something critical lies in the balance, and you have a team behind you 100%, you will find it much easier to gain clarity about the “right answers” and “right directions” for you to be following.

Through the sharing of ideas, inspiration, support and motivation, MasterMind has helped people meet their biggest challenges, reach their goals and achieve their dreams.

You will want to establish guidelines for how you operate with each other. Be very clear with everyone in your group. Establish a “Rules of Order”. Are you going to give out “homework” assignments? Ben Franklin did with his Junto groups.

Have your ideas ready and be willing to accept thoughts and changes given by others.

We suggest you start your session with gratitude, good news or success stories. Laughter is an excellent way to get the positive energies flowing. Encourage each member to participate. Always try to begin and end each meeting on a positive, upbeat note.

Clarify your groups purpose and see that every member has it in writing. Why are you meeting? What are you wanting to gain? Are you going to focus on finding solutions for problems, or maybe encourage personal, spiritual or business growth?

It helps to have all the MasterMind team members “on the same page”. One example of a group’s driving force might be “Our Definite Major Purpose Is To Help Our Members Achieve And Maintain Greater Financial Security”.

Remember, as your team members grow and expand their horizons, you can always go back and redefine or redesign your “This is Why We are Meeting” statement.

Over time, your and your fellow MasterMind members will find that everyone has enjoyed significant growth and that can cause the nature of your group to change.

Do review your group goals and purposes from time to time to keep them current with the balance as it changes.

Remain flexible and keep open to new possibilities all the time. In short order, you will begin reaching your goals and will see marvelous things happening in your life!

So what is this thing called a mastermind group. When you look it up on the net which I am sure you have, you will undoubtedly get a definition that starts with the quote from the Napolean Hill book “Think and Grow Rich.”  This has been sighted by many as the beginning of all the rage around master mind groups in recent years.

He wrote about his experience from Andrew Carnegie who requested his services and we know what Mr. Carnegie accomplished.

I like to suggest that mastermind groups have been around for centuries if we just recognize the intent and formations.  Another quote comes to mind “When two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them.” (Matthew 18:20)

I also imagine that peoples from time immemorial have been masterminding with each other.  They sat together and played board games, had quilting circles, socialized at tea parties, joined cigar smoking clubs, hung out in men’s groups, shared in women/sister circles, rejuvenated in sweat lodges, and more.  All to support, council, guide and help each other.  This is collaborative problem solving at its best.

So putting this all together simply, a master mind group is like-minded people working together for the success of each member. This is a very powerful medium.

There are many focuses that are the interests of master mind groups: solopreneurs, first time business owners, women in small business, people seeking to launch a business etc. What type of group do you want to belong to? Are you ready for a team effect?