As an entrepreneur, you have no boss to pat you on the back in your successes and no boss to discipline you in your failures.You are completely responsible for the success of your business.
On of the major benefits of a Mastermind group is being accountable for your actions.
Your Mastermind group should motivate and inspire you into action.Reaching out beyond your comfort zone and achieving more than you ever could alone.
When your Mastermind group challenges you, they will hold you accountable for your actions.This is very important to your business because when you succeed, they will praise you for your success.However, if you begin to fail, they will give you constructive criticism so you can reorganize your strategy or method so you will begin to succeed.
There are few places an entrepreneur can find himself accountable for his actions, a Mastermind group is a great place to receive the benefits of accountability.
Here's a great exercise to share with your Master Mind group that came from Jack Canfield's fabulous book, The Success Principles. The purpose is to clarify the vision you have for your life:
On a piece of paper, write down at least three things you want to achieve in each of these seven areas: Financial, Career, Recreation, Physical Health, Relationships, Personal, and Community. Let your mind relax and open up to answers that perhaps you've forgotten about that still are truly dreams you want to achieve. When complete, review your vision daily, once in the morning and again at night before going to bed. This will keep your mind focused on your vision so that aspects of it can begin to manifest.
Taking it one step further, he says to "share your vision for maximum impact", perhaps with a friend whom you can trust to be positive and supportive of your dreams and goals. Upon facilitating this exercise with a class this week, I thought "what better way to share and utilize the power of a Master Mind group?" Why not do this exercise individually and then take turns sharing a particular area with the group and ask for their support while you work toward achieving it? Just like a supportive friend, a Master Mind group will hold your goals in mind and even offer ways to help you make them come to life. By sharing your vision with supportive people, your own belief that it can actually come to fruition becomes that much stronger.
Yet another powerful case for Master Minding - getting a vision of what you want out of your own head, onto a piece of paper, then out among a group of people who only want the best for you. Let them help you realize your dreams!
In 1901, Andrew Carnegie sold his business in what was, at that time, the largest corporate takeover ever. Carnegie received almost $230,000,000 worth of bonds in the sale, and had a special vault built to house them in New Jersey.
John Dealey wrote a new article that caught my attention recently called Life Lessons from a Billionaire. It profiles Andrew Carnegie and his secrets to success. Among the strategies discussed is that of Masterminding:
Carnegie believed that being a member of a MasterMind group was essential for success. A man named Charles M. Schwab worked for him and Carnegie claimed he was one of the smartest men he had ever known. They frequently brainstormed together to become even more successful. Each credited much of their success to the power of the MasterMind sessions they developed in the steel industry.
If it worked for one of the wealthiest people to ever live, it can work for you. Winning is not an individual sport, it is a team sport and the sooner you get the right people on your team, the sooner you will achieve the success you want and deserve.
EvanCarmichael.com is the world's #1 website for small business motivation and strategies. Evan also runs a series of successful Mastermind Groups in Toronto for entrepreneurs.
Guest Contributor: Damon Clifford
