You can count on one hand the number of important historical events brought about by one man alone. The world and all we consider valuable are built by many hands and many minds working in coordinated unison.
Bill Gates lit the microcomputer revolution but his work would not have come to fruition without the financial advice of Warren Buffet and the know-how of Paul Allen.
Kobe Bryant’s name is etched in sports history forever, but he wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far without the guiding hand of Jerry West.
Ask any big name in history, and they’ll tell you that success is a group project.
To succeed, men need men–they need brains to bounce ideas off of and minds to glean inspiration from.
They need moral compasses outside of themselves to tell them when they’re out of line and guide their steps as they journey to find success.
Trying to face the struggles of life alone is a futile venture that results in little more than wasted time and unnecessary heartache. That’s exactly why you need a men’s mastermind group.
A mastermind group for men has the potential to provide you with the support, ideas, and accountability necessary for you to find success in your aspirations, business, and personal life.
What is a Mastermind Group?
One of the defining features of humanity (homo sapiens) is our ability to work in groups and pass complex ideas between individuals. This evolved ability gives us huge advantages over other animals and allows us to do things that other organisms will never dream of.
A mastermind group essentially takes advantage of this ability to “cooperate” by intentionally bringing together bright minds and letting them bounce ideas off one another.
A mastermind group is a group of like-minded people, usually 5 to 10, who meet regularly to give each other advice, share ideas, and provide accountability and support.
Each mastermind group will have distinctive characteristics that define it and give it purpose, but across all groups, the definition above holds.
There is no single type for a mastermind group, but rather a group of characteristics that set a group of this nature apart from other types of men’s groups and counseling.
Mastermind members can meet as frequently as every week and as infrequently as a few times a year. They can discuss something as broad as the idea of starting a business or as specific as the inner workings of the coffee bean growing industry. Some meet online, while others meet in person.
The important thing is that every member of the mastermind group is there to contribute and receive advice. One group member may know more than others, but they will be there to learn too.
There is no teacher-student dynamic.
The best mastermind groups are full of men eager to contribute to and receive from mastermind meetings–eager to see their personal selves, relationships and businesses prosper.
A good group will help you and every member of your group reach their full potential in every aspect of life.
Most groups are made up of men working in the same industry or even the same occupation. They share the same values, have similar goals, and know that they can achieve more than alone.
Mastermind Groups Vs. Other Men’s Groups
Before joining a mastermind group, you should know what to expect and what not to expect because mastermind groups have specific purposes.
What makes a mastermind group different from other men’s groups is that the focus is primarily professional (not always).
Mastermind group members help other members grow current businesses, brainstorm ideas for future businesses, and find ways to cooperate.
They are, however, also there for emotional support when you need it and advice on affairs considering your personal life.
If you’re confused at this point and thinking, mastermind groups do everything!–you aren’t wrong. Usually, however, groups are business-focused.
Perhaps a mastermind group is better defined by what it is not:
A mastermind group is not a class.
This group does not have a teacher. While an ideal group will contain men with different levels of success and degrees of knowledge on topics, every mastermind group member should feel equal to the men sitting on either side of him.
A mastermind group isn’t group coaching.
Unlike other coaching programs, mastermind groups do not have a head mentor or a leader advising their fellow members. It is a group where every member shares their ideas to grow with each other and talk about personal growth, building confidence, and improving their relationships.
A mastermind group is not meant for networking.
While you will likely share leads and helpful resources with the other group members, that is never the primary goal of your meetings. The main focus should not be finding colleagues and business partners–though that may result from a particularly successful group.
5 Reasons You Should Consider Joining a Mastermind Group
There is a slew of reasons why a mastermind group could help anyone. Here are the top five reasons a mastermind group may be the key you are missing to becoming a new man today:
1. You’ll Be Exposed to New Ideas
Perhaps the most valuable thing you will take away from a successful mastermind group will be ideas.
Ideas run the world.
Everything of value comes from an idea, and every idea comes from the human mind, so the more human minds you can put in a room together, the more valuable ideas will come into being.
No matter how much you think you know your industry or your occupation, you’ll be able to learn more from others.
A second, third, or tenth mind will be invaluable, even if it’s a change of perspective or a new way to approach and solve problems.
2. Your Skills Will See Dramatic Growth
What makes a man successful in his field of choice: who he knows, how he thinks, and how he acts upon his thoughts.
When you join a mastermind group, you’ll notice a dramatic difference in how your mind thinks and how you act upon your thoughts.
When you open up your mind and let other like-minded individuals poke around for a bit and add pieces to their minds, you’ll find that your thoughts become influenced by theirs.
You become more open-minded and knowledgeable, and your skillset changes. Mastermind groups are one of the best ways to learn new skills.
3. You’ll Form Valuable Bonds and an Expansive Network
While you may not be entering a mastermind group to find friends and business partners, these things are a common side-effect of meeting like-minded professionals.
Mastermind groups allow you to meet men with similar mindsets, goals, and likely, similar ideas about business.
They provide the perfect opportunity to expand your network and form valuable bonds (in and out of business) that can last you the rest of your life.
4. You’ll Have a Place to Share your Ideas
What is the tangible value of an idea? Nothing.
An idea is worthless if it is never spoken aloud or acted upon in some way, shape, or form.
If you, like so many men, struggle to put your ideas out into the world and bring creations into being, a mastermind group could be life-changing.
So much creativity goes to waste because people aren’t willing to risk sharing their ideas.
A mastermind group will give you an outside perspective on your thoughts and ideas, providing constructive criticism and holding you accountable for acting rather than only speaking.
5. You’ll Be Held Accountable
When you set a goal, how often do you attain it? If you’re like most men, the answer is rarely.
Aimlessness destroys so much potential on this earth. Thoughts go unspoken, goals go unreached, and ideas remain ideas.
One of the biggest benefits of a mastermind group is accountability. Mastermind groups intentionally build accountability into each meeting to help all members reach their goals.
When your goals are set, and group members are on board, failing to reach them will feel like letting down a team.
However, let me warn you: accountability structures are only successful if you come into the group with total honesty.
Accountability is nonexistent if you are willing to tweak the truth or leave failures unspoken.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Mastermind Group
You only get what you put into a mastermind group. You must approach the group intentionally to get the most out of it.
You must precisely know what you want in the group and how you plan to get it.
It would help to keep a few things in mind as you find your mastermind group.
1. Come with a Purpose
The biggest mistake you can make is entering a mastermind group without a clear purpose or objective. You should know what you want out of the group and how you plan to get it.
Even if it’s something as simple as wanting to expose yourself to new ideas and people, having a defined purpose when you enter each meeting is a must.
Meeting regularly with a small group for peer support is only helpful if you know why you’re there.
Simply reading this article and deciding to join a mastermind group isn’t enough. As with anything in life, you need a why.
2. Take Full Advantage of your Time in the “Hot Seat”
Traditional mastermind group structure gives each member allotted time on the “hot seat” at each meeting.
This is when you discuss your thoughts, present your ideas to the group, and receive advice and criticism.
Know what you’ll say when your time on the hot seat comes around. Practice your lines in the mirror beforehand if you’re a scattered person.
This pocket of time is your time to glean what you can from your peers, and trust me–it’s not always easy.
Sometimes your ideas will get shot down or feverishly dissected. Don’t worry; this is likely the sign of a good mastermind group.
3. Set Specific Goals for Yourself
Things don’t get done without goals.
Setting clear, attainable goals for yourself will set you apart from the rest of the world.
If you enter each meeting with something as vague as “I want to meet people” or “I want to grow rich,” a mastermind group doesn’t offer much help.
When you join a mastermind group, you should have challenging, practical goals to bring to the group. Things like:
- I want to profit from my business to go up 30% each year
- I want to have my website up within a month
- I want 40% of my sales to be online by next year
Clear goals like these give your vision direction and ideas value and make you a man with purpose and intention.
Takeaways
Too many men wander the globe with minds brimming with creativity and limitless potential but nothing to show. Their bank accounts lay empty, their work felt fruitless, and their lives were pointless.
If you don’t want this to be you–if you have ideas you want the world to hear, if you want to see your skills increase dramatically, even if you want to be held accountable for all the things you say you’ll always do–a mastermind group will be a game-changer.
Once you find the right group, the job isn’t over. Simply being in a mastermind group or reading an article doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t have a purpose.
Set specific goals for yourself and let your team in on them so they can hold you accountable. Let others into your life so you can see what you’re missing.
Too many men spend all their lives toiling in hopeless solitude. Maybe you don’t need to work longer hours or quit on your dream business–maybe you need a change of perspective or a few new ideas.
Whatever the case, it’s time you stopped trying to do everything alone.
Here at Knowledge for Men, we have put together some of the best mastermind groups for men on the planet. We take like-minded men and introduce them to one another, letting them inspire one another and grow.
If this is something that would nourish your life and put that twinkle back in your eyes, the time to act is now. Space is limited, and spots are filling up quickly.
