Success in one's endeavour is never created in a vacuum. Success is never a lone endeavour. Since early times great men have surrounded themselves with trusted advisors to guide them to success, thereby creating a mastermind around them. Napoleon Hill in the early 1900's spoke of a mastermind as "The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony." He continues "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind." Early biblical teachings in Mathew 18:20 reinforce this 'For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.'

The reason mastermind groups are so powerful is that they bring together the resources such as money, time, experience, specialized knowledge and background of all the participants. To picture this principle at work imagine being given a stick and told to snap it in half. This can be accomplished easily by applying pressure on either end of the stick until it snaps. However give someone a bunch of sticks bundled together and tell them to do the same and you will find that it is not only much more difficult but may prove to be impossible. That is the mastermind principle at work, when you add the sticks together to form a bundle their strength aren't just added together but they are magnified.

More...A mastermind has the ability to provide you with alternative views and insights that have come from their experience. The mastermind is a place where you can renew and revitalize mentally, spiritually and emotionally. This concept of revitalization and renewal was popularly presented in Stephen R Covey's book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" through the concept of Sharpening the Saw. To picture how the mastermind group helps you to sharpen your saw is best described by Covey's word-picture:

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.

"What are you doing?" you ask.

"Can't you see?" comes the impatient reply. "I'm sawing down this tree."

"You look exhausted!" you exclaim. "How long have you been at it?"

"Over five hours," he returns, "and I'm beat! This is hard work."

"Well why don't you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?" you inquire. "I'm sure it would go a lot faster."

"I don't have time to sharpen the saw," the man says emphatically. "I'm too busy sawing!"

So now you know how a mastermind group can benefit you how do you create one?

Here are a few suggestions to ensure the longevity and success of your mastermind group:

1. Synergy. Napolean Hill was very insistent on the idea of synergy and harmony as being crucial to the mastermind groups success. It is easy to see why. If all the participants don't have a unified vision or values then the seeds of disharmony and discontent may arise causing the group to stagnate or get bogged down with petty issues. In selecting your members of your mastermind careful consideration should therefore be made to ensure all participants understand the goals and values of the group. We all know what it is like when everyone is working in harmony, not only is the group more productive but it is also more conducive to greater overall success.

2. Support and Accountability. The real value found in a mastermind group is having a group of like minded people that can support and encourage you on your endeavours. In Proverbs 27:17 it states 'Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.' By being clear on each others goals and holding each other accountable to them can be a powerful way to encourage each other to the realization of each others dreams and goals.

No serious mountain climber climbs by themselves, they climb with a group and if the summit is steep and dangerous they attach a rope to each other to ensure the individuals safety. Should one person slip, instead of falling to their death they would fall as far as the rope will allow them. This support and encouragement should be a cornerstone of any mastermind group.

3. Consistency. You need to ensure that regular meetings are scheduled with the group. Whether you decide to meet weekly, fortnightly or monthly the meetings need to be regular enough to make the mastermind relevant and practical for all concerned. If some members cannot consistently make the scheduled meetings then careful consideration should be made as to whether all will benefit from their inclusion in the group. It is difficult to create beneficial relationships and support for each other if everyone is not able to meet together on a regular basis.

4. Win-Win. The goal of the mastermind is that it provides a platform to create win-win outcomes for all the members. It is important that no one single member monopolizes the discussion within the group and that everyone has an opportunity to present their questions for discussions. You may decide to use an agenda or outline for the group to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute in the group.