Power of the Master Mind

Pre-quote - The ladder of success is never crowded at the top

The Master Mind Group! The missing link to the entrepreneur! It is the unspoken dream of most people to be the boss, to control their own destiny, to not answer to anyone. That is until they take the plunge and begin on their own. Most then find the journey to be lonely and much more stressful and challenging than they ever thought it would be.

When I first read of the power of the master mind, I immediately understood the importance of the concept. I knew that I needed to establish a group of “experts” outside the Company that I could go to with issues.

As with many strong willed people, I had it half right and thought I had solved the mystery of business success. The part that I had missed was the most obvious. The master mind is not only external, it is also internal. Through out my childhood I had heard my dad make so many comments about his success being directly attributable to the people surrounding him. In his mind, this is what made him a good leader. How had I been so short sighted in my reading? I believe the answer lies in two places:

• My inability to control my ego (I have all the answers)

• My failure to turn on my creative imagination while reading this book.

Both these faults are very characteristic of entrepreneurs. To take the plunge into a business, they have to believe in themselves and their abilities. However, after starting the business, they get drawn into working in the business as opposed to working on the business.

I knew that some of my strengths were also my biggest negatives. My strong personality sometimes allows me to jump to conclusions and not see other acceptable options. In addition, it has the ability to negatively impact others and preclude them from offering a contrary opinion. This is a dangerous situation for any leader. The power of the master mind will not flourish in this environment.

The Definition of a master mind group is the coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people for the attainment of a definite purpose. It is interesting to see how a strong personality can take out the “spirit of harmony”.

The mastermind group has two very noticeable characteristics. They are:

• Economic advantages may be created by any person who surrounds themselves with the advice, council and personal cooperation of a group of men who are willing to lend him wholehearted aid in a spirit of perfect harmony.
• No two minds ever come together without, thereby creating a third, invisible, intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.

These two characteristics are supported by one important fact:

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.

I understand how I missed the “secret” that the master mind group is also an important factor in building a staff. Just because we spend more time with this group then we do with our families does not mean that they can influence our thoughts, our actions and the overall direction of the organization. A strong minded leader can change the course of the other associates who work at “ground zero” can’t they? Yea right!

Once this fact permeated the years of profound wisdom, it was obvious to me that my management style and the organization needed to change. I needed to improve the quality of the staff and give them the authority and power to make decisions and give advise. Our decision making process needed the infusion of the power of the master mind.

“The master mind principle holds the secret of the power wielded by people who surround themselves with other individuals of intelligence. When a group of individual brains are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through the alliance becomes available to every individual brain in the group.”

While it is important to have allies outside the organization it is just as important to build an internal team of bright individuals that are willing to come together for the common good of the organization. This is when the group of individuals becomes a team and the power of their thoughts grows geometrically. The desires of the individual cannot circumvent those of the organization. It is virtually impossible for one individual to have the necessary knowledge in all disciplines to successfully manage an organization.

If their plans are comprehensive, and if they contemplate large proportions, they must induce others to cooperate with them, before they can inject the necessary element of power. This power is the organized and intellectually directed knowledge that comes from intelligent people working in harmony for a common cause.

Running an organization is a very difficult undertaking. It is not for everyone. However, the development of a strong external and internal mastermind group with a commonality of purpose dramatically increases the chances of success and dramatically decreases the chances of mistakes.

I will leave you with one of my favorite passages from this book, “There exists a great unseen stream of power, which may be compared to a river, except that one side flows in one direction, carrying all who get into that side of the stream onward and upward to wealth – and the other side flows in the opposite direction, carrying all who are unfortunate enough to get into it downward to misery and poverty.”

“This stream of life consists of ones thinking process. The positive emotions of thought carry one to fortune and the negative side carries one down to poverty.”

“Poverty and riches often change places. When riches take the place of poverty, the change is usually brought through well conceived and carefully executed plans. Poverty needs no plan. It needs no one to aid it, because it is bold and ruthless. Riches are shy and timid. They have to be attracted.”