Success Secret: Form a Mastermind Group

Let's face it, empire building is exhausting! Especially if you try to do it all by yourself. Everyone needs help sometimes and a mastermind group can be a great tool for peer support, career development and inspiration.

The mastermind group concept, introduced by Napoleon Hill and inspired by Andrew Carnegie, is a group of people focused on helping one another succeed. The idea being that two heads are better than one and accountability goes a long way to keeping people on track. 

If you have career goals you need to get a firmer handle on, you might want to try creating a mastermind group. It doesn't have to be fancy or involve a lot of people. In fact, I recommend gathering only a few trusted friends or colleagues. Smaller groups are more nimble and focusing on fewer people can help prevent a sense of overwhelm. 

Here are a few tips for creating a group of your own:

• Determine the purpose of your group. Do you want to focus on general career development or do you need help bringing a specific project to fruition? It's helpful if each participant is interested in working in the same area. That way, strategies and tips for one person may be easily applied to others in the group. 

• Choose your participants wisely. When selecting people, consider things like temperament, communication skills, a spirit of reciprocity and accountability. Also make sure each person is committed to and capable of doing the work. Being supportive can sometimes be tough stuff and bringing the wrong people to the table could prove disastrous.

• Set the ground rules. Again, this doesn't have to be super fancy. No one suggests that you follow Robert's Rules of Order but everyone should be on the same page about what is expected of them so they'll know whether or not they can seriously commit to participating. Consider how often you'll meet and for how long? Will the group be together for a month, for three months, a year? It's up to you to decide.

• Have fun with it. The group should encourage and inspire each member. If it feels like a chore, you're probably not doing it right! Pursuing your dreams is not always easy but getting closer to living your dreams should feel really good!

Have you ever formed or been part of a mastermind group? Did it help you or was it a total disaster? Please share your story in the comments below. Here's a resource that provides more information about mastermind groups and how to do it right. Good luck!