The Unspoken, Emotional Side of Mastermind Leadership

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the emotional side of leading a mastermind group.

 

When others look to you for growth, they usually bring along unanswered questions or unmet needs. You need to be able to help them to a point where they’re comfortable talking about them. 

 

As the leader, modeling this helps your mastermind group members feel safe in taking ownership of their daily lives. In this area, the three qualities that separate good leaders from great ones are:

 

• Authenticity
• Vulnerability
• Transparency

  

Are Your Words and Actions in Alignment With Each Other?

 

Many leaders tell people what they plan to do, or what’s most important to them. Sadly, few follow through with action to support their promises. 

 

Sometimes, it’s from a lack of organization, which is one reason we’ve built The Mastermind Playbook. It’s very difficult to build online mastermind groups alone, without a process or the right tools.

 

Other times, priorities are out of whack. I often talk with business leaders who say, “There’s nothing more important to me than my family.”  Yet, they spend very little time with them. They’ll spend 12 to 14 hours a day at work, then come home and be too tired to do anything. They don't have meaningful conversations with their spouse. They can't play baseball with Billy because it's dark outside.

 

Let me be clear: I’m not picking on these guys and saying their work isn’t important. But the truth is, if you say something is important, you need to make time for it. Make sure you play with your kids or talk with your wife about your life together.

 

Being authentic and matching actions with intentions is vital to a leader’s effectiveness, in an online mastermind group. It affects how you lead, whether members follow, and how the group grows, either in size or strength of relationships. 

 

Our mastermind groups online in Iron Sharpens Iron are some of the best places in the world to do this.

 

For men, click here to join one of our Monday groups.

For women, click here to be part of one of our newest groups, launching September 28th.

 

Try a Little Tenderness

 

I love leadership roles, because they call for empathy, understanding, and trust. An excellent way to create these with the members of your mastermind is vulnerability. 

 

Don’t mistake vulnerability for weakness. It’s a courageous quality to have. It shows others you’re not afraid to admit fears or shortcomings. A lot of leaders think they need to have a tough exterior, or bottle everything up inside. That’s a mistake.

 

A leader may feel a little better temporarily by being in control. But do you think the people they lead feel like they can be honest and approach them? Letting mastermind members see your weakness shows them it’s okay to feel the range of emotions, and ask for help if they need it.

  

The Key to Spiritual Freedom

 

Mark Twain once wrote, “Always tell the truth. That way, you don’t have to remember what you said.” 

 

This fits perfectly when talking about transparency. The truth might not always be the easiest thing to tell, but it sure beats coming up with story after story! When you’re transparent and honest, you’re free to tell people what you’re up to and how you feel. 

 

The truth might be difficult for the person on the receiving end to hear, but I guarantee they’ll appreciate and receive it openly.

 

Transparent leaders gain trust quickly. They say what they mean, and mean what they say. Make this a core feature of your mastermind group. It sets the tone for everyone else. If members are going to find the way forward, their peers need to be straightforward and caring with their feedback. 

 

Transparency says, “Come as you are, but don’t plan to stay that way. We’re going to grow together.” The way I see it, you have a golden opportunity staring you in the face; that’s how we do things in our mastermind groups with Iron Sharpens Iron.

 

For men, click here to join one of our Monday groups.

For women, click here to be part of one of our newest groups, launching September 28th.

  

Know What You Want

 

Successful people know what they want. It’s tough to hit a target you’re not aiming for. To lead a profitable and impactful mastermind, you have to be honest and open about your goals.

 

Write down your goals, and share them with people who will hold you accountable. Do whatever you have to do to make sure you can’t hide from following through. 

 

Also, if your goals are too comfortable or easy, they may as well not be goals. I hear some facilitators say things like, “ I’d just be happy with a few regular members. If I could just get a few new members, I’d be set.” 

 

What kind of a goal is that?

 

It’s not inspiring at all! That’s not going to make somebody jump out of bed each morning, fired up to grow their group, and it won’t inspire others to follow them. It probably wouldn’t even get current members to promote the mastermind with word of mouth.

 

The truth is, you’ve got to set big, specific goals that cause you to plan, execute, and grow. You’re in the business of leading others, so give them something to follow!

 

The Promise

 

A brand is a promise repeated over and over, and the characteristics of authenticity, vulnerability, and authenticity are promises that must be kept. But the journey toward the brand promise of your mastermind will be much easier, if you practice what you preach.

 

So consider finishing out 2020 by joining us in Iron Sharpens Iron.

 

For men, click here to join one of our Monday groups.

For women, click here to be part of one of our newest groups, launching September 28th.