Mastermind

We will explain what is a mastermind group, how to use the principle of mastermind to achieve goals and finally we will cover some examples of masterminds.

What is a mastermind according to Napoleon Hill?

A mastermind is a group of people who complement each other for a particular and specific goal.

The goals of a mastermind can be financial or not. For example, during wartime, the High Command of the army should build a mastermind to win the war. A mastermind can also be used by politicians to win elections or run the country without direct economical benefits for them.

The perfect mastermind is a group of people who, together, have all the skills and competences needed to accomplish a goal efficiently. To achieve this, the people who integrate the mastermind group must satisfy two things.

On the one hand members must understand each other very well. They need to connect emotionally and intellectually, and harmonize as a true team. If a person does not get along with the other team members, he or she should not be part of the master mind.

The second aspect is the mastermind members must add value to the group. Each member must be useful and of great value. No member should me unnecessary or redundant.

Napoleon Hill doesn’t say anything about the different expressions of the ideal mastermind. Indeed, for the same goal, many mastermind groups would be appropriate. But, among all the possibilities, the mastermind with the smallest number of members would be the best one.

Indeed, the number of members in the mastermind is an indicator of the degree of efficiency of such mastermind.

How do you apply the mastermind principle?

The mastermind principle is not really a principle. It is rather a technique or a tool.

There are many techniques. Napoleon Hill mastermind is just one of them. A mastermind is just a form of governance in which a leader takes advice from a group of advisors who meet some criteria.

Napoleon Hill mastermind is not a democracy. Members may give their opinion, but ultimate responsibility and decision-power relies upon the leader of the mastermind.

As well, the group of counsellors is what we described in the previous point. They all must be necessary and add value to the mastermind.

As well, in the mastermind group, counsellors must have clear incentives. Incentives which must be aligned with the final goal of the mastermind and of course be attractive for the members.

In the end, compensation in a mastermind group makes sure individual goals (in terms of compensation) is in line with the mastermind’s ultimate goal.

Probably the most difficult and important part of the mastermind is the first step. Finding the right people and convincing them to be part of a mastermind created for a specific purpose.

Choosing the best leader for the mastermind is also a tough task. Members should make an effort and go through their egos in order to make sure the best leader is awarded this role.

Examples of mastermind groups

There are many examples for mastermind groups.

In the book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill likes to mention the board of directors of the Carnegie Steel Company.

The Carnegie Steel Company was a steel manufacturer in USA in the 19^thcentury. It became one of the biggest American companies ever, and in practice it became a real monopoly of steel production. 

However not every application of the mastermind may have a financial or economical goal. 

The smallest example of a mastermind is a marriage. Yes. A good, true marriage is a mastermind whose goal is the development and construction of a healthy family. In a marriage, you choose your partner because you believe it is the best person for it. Love, trust, respect, honesty, commitment, etc. Many good qualities occur within a marriage. 

NASA in his project to reach the moon counted on another mastermind. In this case, compensation was not only monetary. The ultimate goal of the counsellors (each advisor assuming responsibility for a specific aspect) was no other than being the first ones in the Space Race. 

These examples have no other goal than giving you illustrations to help you open your mind so you realize masterminds can take place everywhere: within a football team, within a scientific team or even among religious organizations. Masterminds can take place everywhere in order to achieve all kind of goals. 

The book Think and Grow Rich dedicates a complete chapter to the Mastermind. In this book, the concept of mastermind is granted the relevance it deserves. Think and Grow Rich dissects the concept of mastermind and digs into its nature, performance and meaning. It also proposes a particular definition and gives you tips on how to run your own mastermind alliance. You can read the summary of chapter 10 online.