Friday, January 23, 2009

The Power of a Mastermind Group

Many years ago, the famous Andrew Carnegie saw a need to share the secret of success with the world. Knowing how to recruit people to assist in achieving his dreams, he put the challenge to Napoleon Hill to invest more than 20 years interviewing more than 500 exceedingly wealthy individuals (most of whom started life with nothing) to identify and confirm the secret to success - in this case, the success in attracting money into your life on a consistent basis (although the concept can be used for however you choose to define success and/or happiness).

Hill set to the task and produced "Think and Grow Rich", a now timeless classic.

The main premise of the book is that your mind is the most powerful tool that you have, and will ever have. When used properly, the mind can create any future and reality that one desires. However, for a variety of reasons, most people are unable to see past the limitations that are ingrained in their thinking.

However, once thoughts can be focused on an objective - and not derailed by limitations - the actions that derive from those thoughts will guide one towards the success that they desire.

Sounds simple enough. So, why isn't everyone able to simply 'think' themselves into a fortune. Well, actually, everyone is able to do this, it just requires letting go of the beliefs that prevent pursuing those desires.

Hill says on page 18 that "the object of this book is to help all who seek it to learn the art of changing their minds from FAILURE CONSCIOUNESS to SUCCESS CONSCIOUSNESS."

Does it seem a bit judgmental to indicate that if you don't possess a 'success consciousness' that you possess a 'failure consciousness'?

Perhaps is does. However, a study of individuals who achieve great success and wealth will reveal a deep rooted belief in opportunity and abundance. And it is this 'inner voice' that guides their thoughts and actions. Whereas the opposite is true of most people. For a variety of reasons most people see limitations and a virtual impossibility towards reaching their goals.

The book goes through many of the concepts and offers a specific 'step-by-step' approach towards advancing towards your goals. In fact, Page 28 gives instructions on exactly what to do to develop a 'money-consciousness' that will attract wealth into your life.

Hill discusses, Chapter by Chapter, the topics of:

1. Desire

2. Faith

3. Autosuggestion

4. Specialized Knowledge

(I must plug in here that exit strategy planning is currently regarded as 'specialized knowledge' in a world of advisory services that are becoming increasingly commoditized every day).

5. Imagination

6. Organized Planning

7. Decision

8. Persistence

then Chapter 9, Power of The Master Mind

First Hill describes 'power' as "organized and intelligently directed Knowledge . . . through the coordination of effort of two or more people who work toward a definite end, in a spirit of harmony."

Hill then makes the somewhat dramatic statement (p. 182) that "No individual can have great power without availing himself or herself of the Master Mind Principle." He challenges the reader to "analyze the record of anyone who has accumulated a great fortune . . . and you will find that they have either consciously or unconsciously employed the Master Mind Principle."

He describes thoughts as a 'stream of power' and states that "the positive emotions of thought form the side of the stream which carries one to fortune. The negative emotions form the side which carries one down to poverty."

So, the Master Mind Principle includes a group of people coming together to achieve a stated objective and working in harmony towards achieving that end.

That is what occurred in Orlando this past weekend. I don't think that anyone who participated had fewer than 10 pages of notes of ideas that they would be implementing into their businesses in 2009. Each of those ideas was the collective product of the group thinking delivered from a focus on the needs of each individual Member in achieving their goals.

The key to making this type of group work well is getting the right-minded people together, setting a specific agenda, closing the door (physically) to close out all distractions, and allowing the creative energy to flow towards the objective that was stated.

Master Mind groups that follow Hill's formula are remarkably effective. I cannot wait to launch into this new year and to join my fellow Master Mind Platinum Members in making quantum leaps in our businesses. As for Pinnacle, that leap is already underway . . . more to come on this . . . hint - major media coverage for Pinnacle and the exit planning message, along with bigger thinking and execution in delivering valuable solutions to the marketplace of owners and advisors.

Specializing in Business Exit Strategies, John M. Leonetti, Esq., M.S. Finance, CM&AA founded Pinnacle Equity Solutions to provide exit strategy planning services to business owners as well as education and training programs for professional advisors. To learn more about John's Exit Strategy Services and his recently published book, "Exiting Your Business, Protecting Your Wealth", visit ExitingYourBusiness.com

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