One of the challenges in creating success in anything in life, including your career, is the pain of doing it on your own.  It can be hard to stay focused, motivated and self-disciplined.  It can also be very lonely.  One solution is to create a Mastermind Group – a mutual support group of people who come together from time to time to help one another achieve their dreams.

The idea goes back to Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich.  Bill George, the Authentic Leadership man, talks about a group that he has been in for years.  The great things nowadays is that you can meet your mastermind buddies virtually – you don’t have to all be in the same city at the same time.

Different people run their groups in different ways.  I was a member of a Mastermind Group for a number of years.  (We called it an Action Learning Set, but to be honest the purpose is the same).  It was so helpful for me in developing my coaching business, particularly the way I think about what I do, how to deal with challenging issues, and how to market my business.  In this case all the members of the group were coaches, but we could have had a mix of small business people.

Here’s a really excellent article I came across which cover the topic in some depth.   How To Run a Mastermind Group  Says it all, really.