The Power of the Mastermind

As a former college athlete, I always enjoyed a competitive game of pick up basketball. Every so often I'd find myself surrounded by better players who played the game at either the college or professional level. When these opportunities came about, I made sure I wasn't that scrub who was picked last because of ability. My level of game improved because of my competitive nature, which brought about my thought on the "Mastermind" concept.

The idea behind the Mastermind Group was formally introduced by Napoleon Hill in the early 1900's. In his timeless classic, "Think And Grow Rich" he wrote about the Mastermind principle as: "The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony." Hence a great deal of ideas have been born in individual minds as a result of having met in committee.

A real life example came about when I joined the Vistage Key Group at the beginning of 2008. Vistage is the world's largest CEO network. The Key Group holds a meeting once a month to develop members on a professional level. We had several different executives in attendance every month creating the ideal atmosphere to develop a Mastermind. Once a month I enjoyed the camaraderie between talented players in this Vistage game. Because of my consistent play within the Mastermind, overall I raised my ability as a leader, a sales rep, and potential business owner.


When the next game approaches, will you only be connecting with average players who might not improve your level of business acumen? If you are, start turning your attention to reaching out to the sort of important people that can make a lifetime difference in your personal game of business. Figure out where the real games are being played and find the talented players. These are the kind of individuals that can make you and your "Mastermind" network, sparkle.