Mastermind group is an expression coined by Napoleon Hill in his classic best-seller, Think and Grow Rich. He defined it as “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”
It’s really a concept tha
t has been around a long time and is often referred to as brain-storming. You’ve probably done it many times but more by accident than by intention. You’ve had an issue you want to address so you poll, talk to, consult your friends, family and others in your sphere of influence to bounce your ideas around and see what they have to offer. This gives you an opportunity to solicit a variety of opinions, think further on the issue and come to a well thought out decision.
Mastermind groups are formalized versions of brain-storming. The “coordination of knowledge and effort” is a lot of what we do in a mastermind group. Our “definite purpose” is often a book that we will use to focus our attention on a particular subject. Most of the master mind groups that I run:
- Often, but not always, read the same book together. This gives us an easy way to focus our discussions, insights and increased understanding.
- The groups have a beginning and an end date, meet weekly and last around an hour each time.
- The groups are composed of people you may not have met before but who are all interested in focusing on the same topic that you are.
- There is a facilitator (for my groups, that is the role that I play) who keeps people on topic, brings in additional information and insights, encourages participation and most importantly, holds people accountable for action items they decide to take.
One of the most important opportunities that a mastermind offers is an increased awareness of the topic we are studying. There is a difference between knowing and understanding. You have to experience what you’ve learned before you really understand it. Being in a master mind group helps you take your knowledge to the next level by helping you look at how to act on what you’ve learned.
Why might you enjoy being in a mastermind group? For several reasons.
- One, you have the opportunity to really get to know the people in the groups as you learn and grow together.
- Two, you will come to greater understandings of the topic we’re discussing as we share our ideas and insights. It’s particularly gratifying to see how to use these understandings make in your life.
- Three, they are fun! I do my best to make sure that we laugh while we learn because I truly believe that laughter is always good for the soul.
I fully admit I had no idea what a mastermind group was until a year ago. However, I now understand that my business partners and I actually created one many years ago when we started what became a very successful business!
We gathered a group of people who were all interested in opening a movie theater. We made sure that we all had different skills and were all equally committed to the idea. We met frequently and planned how we would accomplish our goal. Our combined knowledge and harmonious teamwork created TLA Cinema, whose reputation as a cultural icon stands to this day.
While we probably won’t start any movie theaters our of our groups, I am committed to creating powerful groups that will make a difference in your life, that will bring you to a deeper understanding and awareness of our topic and will help you get closer to your goals.
