(Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes)
In MasterMind Power I: How 5 Boys Achieved Unparalled Success, we’re treated to a story of 5 boys who achieved success by creating a lifelong mastermind, setting the stage for understanding how we can achieve similar success.
Now Valentina introduces us to Napoleon Hill, who spent a lifetime studying mastermind groups, and found seven principles in common with all. Enjoy this second installment of Valentina Bellicova’s four part series on Mastermind groups.
Napoleon Hill – Father of the MasterMind
In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill outlines 13 principles that his 29 years of research defined as common to every successful person. One of those principles was the Power of the Master Mind which he defined as:
“Coordination of knowledge and effort in a spirit of harmony between two or more people for the attainment of a definite purpose.”
In his book Hill demonstrates that no successful person achieves great things alone. Every achiever is surrounded by people who help them, advise them, criticize them, encourage them, motivate them, inspire them and push them to be better than they could ever be on their own.
In the previous post, An Old Story, five young boys did just that, not only as youngsters but well into adulthood and throughout their lives. As they shared each others thoughts, aspirations, challenges, desires, hopes and visions an unseen energy formed. That is what they referred to as “an unseen power and a synergy that helped guide them.”
The benefits of a master mind are:
- Intelligence. Each member of a master mind group contributes his or her intelligence that is separate and different from the others. The collective power of such intelligence is indeed greater than the sum of the minds. This can be in the guise of a spiritual force or guide. Great things happen when minds bent on a common goal focus their intelligence on the manifestation of that goal.
- Experience. As with intelligence the collective power of experience is not only supportive but borne of wisdom. It is easier to make better decisions when the experience supporting the decision is broader than one.
- Knowledge. While intelligence is the capacity to think and understand, knowledge is the accumulation of thought and understanding. It is gained through experience be it learned or lived.
- Speed. When more than one mind is concentrated on the outcome of a common goal, it is like harnessing the power of several horses over one for superiority in thrust, speed and power. Goals can be achieved in shorter periods of time.
- Safe environment. Although not explicit in “ An Old Story”, confidentiality is of utmost importance. Confidence of secrecy or nondisclosure, allows each member of a master mind to be honest and truthful. It is the old axiom to the current “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”.
- Economic. Economic advantages may be created by any person who surrounds himself with the advice, counsel and personal cooperation of a group that is willing to lend him wholehearted aid in a spirit of harmony.
- Third mind. No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind. Again this is the unseen power referred to by the group of five.
The group of five boys was a natural master mind, one that came about through shared and common happenstance and the commitment to support each other no matter what. It is the rarest of masterminds. More common are masterminds that are put together with a specific outcome in mind. As with people, some are formed for a reason, some for a season and a very few for a lifetime.
Next, in MasterMind Power III: The Who, What, Where, When and Why of a Successful Mastermind Groups, we will discuss how to find or form a master mind of your own.
Valentina Bellicova builds on her years of experience in Corporate America to succeed as a professional speaker, author and internet marketer. At age 15, she pitched her first article, obtaining a weekly column for the Daily Mainichi Newspaper in Tokyo. Visit Valentina: Blog Income Life.
Coming January 25, 2010: Don’t miss Part III of this four part series of articles on MasterMind groups, where Valentina digs into the nitty-gritty, examining the “Five Ws”: Who, What, Where, When and Why of creating and participating in a MasterMind group.
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{ 13 comments }
Sounds good and I’d like to join one with you if you have one:) I think I’d add another benefit too – encouragement. I think we all need a cheer leader to encourage us to stay on track with our plans and persist even when we are experiencing problems with them!
I want to form one when I move back to New Zealand. I love the idea of physically meeting them fortnightly or weekly and building that camaraderie and third mind.
Gordie´s last blog ..How to Free Up Your Lifestyle Design.
Fantastic! I’ve started a mastermind kind of group on Google Wave with a few people I know who have started blogs as well. It’s been a great way to help each other with problems and run drafts by each other for constructive criticism, and just generally have some behind-the-scenes camaraderie.
It’s something I hope to grow into a thing; I’m just not sure what kind of thing really. But Google Wave is cool…can’t wait to see what it looks like when it launches officially.
Carlos Velez´s last blog ..Clarity Through A Shot of Tequila Wisdom. I Am A Victim. I Am A Prostitute.
Think and Grow Rich should be in every entrepreneur’s library. Even though it published almost 3/4 century ago, Napoleon Hill’s book is timeless!
@Annabel – Look for an invitation to the Insider’s list in an upcoming (or previous) newsletter.
@Gordie – It’s worth it. Deacon, “5am” (don’t ask) and I meet at least monthly to go over what we did over the last month, and what we want to get done over the next.
@Carlos – Wave is cool. I’ll do some WP sessions on Wave at some point. I’ve been meaning to anyway, just haven’t got around to it.
Folks, CommentLuv seems to be working only intermittently here and on other sites this morning. I’m checking into it. Rest assured, I commented before CommentLuv, and if it goes away, I’ll still be there.
It’s absolutely worth it.
The tricky part is finding the right people. That would be worth writing about. Even though Dr. W, 5am and I have very different goals and directions, the group works for us. I think a successful group has more to do with similar drives than similar ambitions.
Hi Dave and Valentina,
I happened across Napoleon Hill’s book about five years ago and I remember it having a big impact on my life. I agree with Deacon, I think it gets tricky when we try to make the match and form the group.
One business I formed did well with our group of four until one person developed “sticky fingers” – bankrupting the business.
It’s tough, no doubt, but it didn’t preclude me from trying again.
I loved Gordie’s comment, too, about meeting fortnightly. I dig it!
Thanks for your sharing your wisdom, Valentina. Cheers!
A big part of the mastermind is finding people who can constructively disagree with you.
Getting the right people is the trickiest part … joining a MasterMind group is a good beginning and sets the mind up for your own if that is the way you want to go.
My copy is dog eared – I bring it out once a year at least
Those are wise words indeed ….
Thank you Lori.
Aaahhh…. the sticky fingers! Major learning curve hope it hasn’t made you shy away from other endeavors.
@Lori – I read it Spring 2009, probably time to haul it out again.
@Victory – If you commit to it, you will eventually find people willing to commit. You will go through a number of people who drop out fast though.
I agree with the statement made by Napoleon Hill. A man shouldn’t be alone. We always need help. Masterminds really work but it’s hard to find people who have the same goals as you.
I agree with your point of view.
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