The Master-Mind

A Master-Mind is the harmonious coordination of specialized knowledge, effort, and belief between two or more people to attain a definite purpose.

Since the beginning, the coordination of efforts has resulted in the most outstanding outcomes. I would propose that most businesses suffer because they have not found alignment within their teams. I would also propose the same to be true in families. When we come together for a definite purpose, we become unstoppable.

John D. Rockefeller said that having his leadership team aligned for the pursuit of a key aim in the upcoming quarter was the first step to success in any endeavor. Napoleon Hill said that having two or more minds working in harmony to achieve a specific outcome was required. Many of the great thinkers throughout history have known this truth. So, why is it that we are often struggling to achieve harmonious coordination of efforts?

When a leader sets the course but does not include their people in the creation of the vision, it will often feel like they are dragging their people along with them. When a team works together to create a vision, however, they tend to work together and create momentum. The vision we pursue in this life is critically important in the creation of a motivated team. That motivation is critically important in the creation of action as well as the pursuit of specialized knowledge. When motivated, we tend to work together, building one another up. That is the harmony part.

This means we need to do three key things in order to advance our teams toward Master-Mind status.

1. Collaborate as a team to create a vision of who we are at our best. This will include the development of a plan for how we serve our employees and our customers/clients.
2. Intentionally build the connection of the team for the purpose of creating both harmony and commitment to an end goal. This is the motivation needed.
3. Schedule out our plan to include measures of progress along the path toward the completion of the objective. By scheduling out what we will do, when we will do it, and accounting for how we will measure it, we create a clear path to success.

It wouldn’t matter if you were talking about your grand vision for your family or your grand vision for your company; these steps are still critical. When there is in-fighting, it is next to impossible to achieve anything of significance. Build the vision, the drive, and the plan to achieve whatever outcomes you desire in this life!