Business women sitting around tablePhoto Credit Christina Morillo
 
Common lore has it that the concept of the Mastermind originated with Napoleon Hill in his famous book Think and Grow Rich. Hill wrote:
The Mastermind is the coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose… When a group of individual brains is coordinated and functions in harmony, the increased energy created through that alliance becomes available to every individual brain in the group.”
It is true that the way it is practiced today closely mirrors Hill’s instructions, but I think the origins of this go back even further. I think it is the same principle about which Jesus spoke when he said, “whenever two or more are gathered together in my name…”. When we align 2 or more minds around a single goal or objective or purpose, power more than doubles.
 
Henry Ford started his business while poor, illiterate, and ignorant of the mechanics of business. But he joined a Mastermind Group that included Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, John Burroughs, and Luther Burbank. What a group of accomplished individuals! And then Ford’s results took off. The rest, they say, is history.
 
I have been a part of several Mastermind groups. I have been a member of one of them for over 5 years. The format of such a group is almost identical, and the underlying principles are the same:
  1. Invocation or call to be in harmony with each individual’s goals.
  2. There is accountability for individual actions toward individual goals. The meetings usually start with a very brief “round robin,” summarizing actions each person has taken toward his/her goal since the last meeting.
  3. There is time for a “hot seat” for one or more members where that individual briefly describes a challenge or decision being faced. The group brainstorms rapidly potential actions or solutions without any judgment or comment. The individual on the hotseat then selects 1 or more actions with which to move forward.
  4. All individuals commit to actions to be taken before the next meeting.
  5. Expressions of appreciation for each member.
I encourage you to join a Mastermind Group or start one yourself. It is a great way to put real power into what you and the other members are seeking to accomplish.

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