Participating in Mastermind Groups is vital to your career success. Even as a military leader, you should have your own Military Mastermind Team or group.
A Mastermind Team is nothing more than a small group of individuals who help each other out by sharing ideas, encouraging each other, and networking together.
I learned about this concept in the book “Think & Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. One section of the book talks about the importance of Mastermind Teams and how they can help you excel your career. If you haven’t read the book yet, be sure to check it out. It is also the best self-help/success oriented book I have ever read.
When you take a moment and actually think about it, Mastermind Teams makes absolute sense. Here are a few examples of a Mastermind Team in action.
- The President has his own cabinet and group of advisors
- Commanders in the Army have their own staff
- Successful executives in corporate America have their own group of advisors
- Successful athletes have coaches and mentors to help them improve their game
A Mastermind Team is similar to an inner circle. It’s simply a group of people who want to help each other, to share what they know, and mentor others at the same time.
The most important key to a successful Mastermind Team is for everyone to have the “best interest of the team” as their top priority. You can’t be selfish and have it all about you. Everyone must benefit from participating in the group, or people won’t stay in the group very long (and rightfully so).
Does that make sense?
When it comes to forming your own Military Mastermind Team, I suggest you start out with just 2-3 people that you know, like and trust. It doesn’t need to be a huge group of people to be successful. The maximum amount of people you want in your team is about 8-12 people. Anything much bigger than that will be ineffective.
If possible, you want your Military Mastermind Team to meet every month or minimum once every quarter. Someone should be in charge of the team, simply to ensure their is a clear agenda, meeting minutes and a clear purpose of every meeting.
You want to build friendships and/or strong personal relationships with the people on your Mastermind Team. Do what you can to look out for each other. Share ideas. Make referrals. Provide value. Help each other.
You can have people with different ranks, both officers and NCOs in your Mastermind Team. I suggest you find people that are trustworthy and want to contribute. Your team can also include retirees and people from other units.
The bottom line is that Mastermind Teams are a great way to launch your career, even in the military!
What are your thoughts? What do you think about Mastermind Teams in the military? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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Mastermind teams are needed by every one; the President, Military leaders, professional sport coaches, and Business leaders. No one person can ensure success for their country, company, team, or business. They need to be surrounded by people who support their vision and want to help them make it a reality. Many of today’s biggest companies, especially those in the Silicon Valley of California, were founded as a result of a small group of people consulting, advising, and cooperating with each other to develop a vision and a plan. Success in any walk of life requires that you reach out to others, lead and be led, advise and be advised, and support and be supported.
These groups are excellent ideas. The ones I've seen that function the best are the groups that think outside of the box. Grabbing a group from the same unit where they may have too similar ideas doesn't always yield the best results. Try including members from other units, retirees, DOD Civilians, or at the very least people from outside your current circle of co-workers.
New ideas and fresh perspectives can make all the difference.
I think the best way to have your own Military Mastermind is to find a retiree or two, a few people from other units, and maybe even a civilian, just to give things perspective and keep things fresh.