The Dream Team!

"Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." Mattie Stepanek

Ever look at a resume and wonder if the person is as good as they look on paper?  Maybe you are looking at your resume right now and wondering how you are going to convince the interviewer you are that marvelous!   Many people have lifetime employment as a result of one hour of convincing someone they are right for the job.  In a large corporation, that is par for the course - they can hide in the shadows for 30 years.  If you only have 5 employees, one bad one can bring you down quickly.   Thankfully, a Mastermind Alliance does not have to be made up of your employees or leadership team.  Of course, that would be ideal, but for the time being, you need to surround yourself with like-minded people who can exchange ideas, problem-solve, and provide a sounding board.  A group that meets regularly - all for the purpose of helping each other pursue greatness.   Who are these people and what qualities (resume) should they possess?  Napoleon Hill in his classic book, Think and Grow Rich, outlines the attributes of your Mastermind Alliance.  Remember:  You have to be possess these qualities as well:   Dependability. Can the person be counted on to do their part.  Do they make the effort required, or do they make excuses?  What do they do when no one is looking?  Dependability is a virtue directly connected to integrity.    Loyalty.  Humans are motive-driven creatures.  What's in it for me?  Loyalty transcends this basic drive and says, "I am there for you even when there is nothing in it for me".  Yes, loyalty is rare, but necessary for your Mastermind Alliance.   Ability.  What gifts and skills do they possess?  They should be complimentary to the Alliance so that the weaknesses of others are covered by the strengths and abilities of someone else.   Positive Mental Attitude.  Naysayers beware!  When trying to do something great your Mastermind Alliance will have to have an abundance of optimism.  Not the Pollyanna variety where you bury your head in the sand, but are relentless in your "Can Do" attitude!   Going the Extra Mile.  Doing more than you are expected or paid to do is the hallmark of great achievers and those that separate themselves from the masses.  That is why Zig Ziglar said, "There are no traffic jams on the extra mile".     Applied Faith.  This is belief in motion.  A proverb says that "Those that are talking should get out of the way of those that are doing".  Surround yourself with people of action and who hold each other accountable.    I can hear some of you - Are these people out there?  Do they really exist?  For your particular mission and vision, there will be a small group of people, who are uniquely tied to you by purpose who will fit all of these attributes.   The challenge is not to be tempted to settle for less than full commitment and possession of these characteristics.  I admit, I have settled and it cost me time, money, and frustration.  I am sure you have been there too!   Dorothy walked down the yellow brick road alone for a while but it wasn't long before she assembled her...    Dream Team!    Pursue Your Greatness...until next time, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Mastermind Your Success!

"Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team."   John Maxwell

Ever heard the expression,   "It is not what you know but who you know"?   It is normally used when people are looking for a job.  Have you ever paid real close attention to the way it reads (and sounds)?  On one hand, it sounds like favoritism and nepotism.  Even though you may have no clue or skills for the job, as long as you know the right people, you can get in.  Yikes! Read the other way, it says just the opposite.  That you may be gifted, skilled and excellent but unless you know the right people, you wont get in.   And again...yikes! Having hired 100's of people over my career, I know that people I was familiar with and that had some of the skills necessary for the job, had a decided advantage over the unknown candidate with the better resume.  It may not always be fair, but in the big corporate world of making widgets, that's just the way it is! As it relates to your goals, dreams and purpose, you have to apply a different philosophy in building your team.   There is a big difference between getting employees for a company and finding partners to be part of your inner circle to help you Pursue Your Greatness.  When you are making widgets...you hire.  When you are pursuing destiny...you select.  Napoleon Hill called this collective of invaluable people your Mastermind Alliance. Take a look at your LinkedIn connections.  How many of them would you hire?  Better question.  How many of them would you select as part of your Mastermind Alliance? I remember I wanted to be a performer (notice I didn't say singer!) when I was younger.  A cross between Michael Jackson and Prince.  Some friends  and I were trying to get a band together and I was going to be the lead singer.  We needed a drummer so we placed an ad in a local paper that musicians read .  Three candidates responded, but only one of them had a set of drums. We picked him.  You can guess the rest - he was awful.   Hey, my goal was not to be a garage band, it was to be an international superstar.  I realized at that moment, that you don't pick people because you know them, or because they have something you need.  You select them for their ability to help you...   Mastermind Your Success!    Pursue Your Greatness...until next time, I wish you Money, Power, Success!