Do you long to see “next-level influence” among the people in your online mastermind group? It’s one thing to set up shop and invite people in. It’s quite another to create an environment in which everyone participates in each other’s growth.

As the leader of your mastermind group, every member is secretly hoping you know how to do this. They observe how you introduce concepts, hold conversations, and solve problems. 

Make sure your habits match your intentions to create space for others to improve their lives.

In our masterminds, we’re reading Stephen Covey’s classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. When I think about what great mastermind leaders do, I think of Habit #6: Synergy.

Synergy is the ability to combine knowledge, talents, and enthusiasm of others, to achieve together what they cannot do alone. It brings forth solutions that would remain hidden otherwise.

Synergy is the...

Last week, I talked about the first four habits in Stephen Covey’s landmark bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 

What help would I be, if I didn’t reveal the rest of them? To read about the first four habits, click here. 

I enjoy the order of these habits. Without first developing yourself (Habits 1-3), it’s difficult to be effective at developing others (Habits 4-7).

The three habits we’ll talk about now are great tools. They’ll make you more effective and influential in your relationships, at work and at home.

• Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

I think a lot of people could use a lesson in this habit, especially after watching the presidential election in 2020. I’m not here to get political, but this idea went by the wayside, as each candidate tried to win.

There’s so much mudslinging, I’m surprised when a politician accurately repeats...

We’re a month into 2021. It flew by, didn’t it?

As you probably know, February brings an abrupt stop to many New Year’s resolutions. I just read that around 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail - by the second week of February!

Positive intentions that begin with hope and motivation don’t last. Why is that?

If you ask Stephen Covey, he would tell you it’s because most people don’t change “inside-out.” In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey says that deep, painful problems aren’t solved by “quick-fix” approaches. People don’t get deep enough into self-reflection to discover what actually needs to change.

Instead, we chase the promise of each new “revolutionary” product. Give us five easy steps, a 90-day plan, or a “bulletproof” system… 

Listen, those things are just tools. Unless you take the time to develop your...

 I want to focus on some key factors that determine the success of your mastermind group.

In my opinion, the two most critical factors are the people you surround yourself with, and their attitudes. This includes your own attitude. The wrong mindset and approach can quickly derail online mastermind groups. 

It’s All How You Look at It…Seriously!

We’ve touched on looking at the world through different lenses in a previous blog. Today, I want to dive deeper by discussing the differences between a mindset of scarcity or abundance. 

We all have a choice in how we view the world. We can see it as “dog eat dog” where if you win, the other person or party has to lose. Or we can see it as a place where there’s enough to go around and everyone can have a spot at the table.

The choices you and your mastermind members make regarding how you view competition, cooperation, and opportunity are crucial. These...