The Leading Edge: Masterminds Change Lives!

This post originally appeared on the John Maxwell Team blog.

At the time that I joined the John Maxwell Team, I had no idea what a Mastermind was. Little did I know how much impact this concept would have!

As I absorbed all the amazing teaching from the mentors on the team, I heard lots of discussions about Mastermind groups, and how that was one of the first steps I could take if I wanted to impact others with the principles and truths I was learning.

First of all, I had to learn what a Mastermind was. The concept was formally introduced by Napoleon Hill in the early 1900’s, who defined it as, “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

Hill further explains, “A group of brains coordinated, or connected, in a spirit of harmony, will provide more thought energy than a single brain. Just as a group of electric batteries will provide more energy than a single battery.” This idea was new to me and yet it made perfect sense.

Meanwhile, I learned about leadership and personal growth. As I lived what I learned, I increased my awareness of my own purpose and mission. This, in turn, helped me to realize that Mastermind groups could be a tool that I could use to be an agent of change in the lives of others. About three months into my training, I took the leap! I remember feeling excited and terrified all at the same time. Offering to host and facilitate this group was totally out of my comfort zone! But my motivation and determination was strong.

I also learned that I had to take action.

If I wanted to continue to learn and grow, I would have to be willing to take the steps necessary for growth to happen. So, I created an online event invitation and emailed it to all my friends and family. The invite offered not one, but two time options. Yes, that’s right. I started up two Mastermind groups that ran concurrently; one on Friday mornings and one on Saturday mornings.

Both groups were incredible. I learned so much about the content, and about myself. I have continued to facilitate additional groups after those first two. Today, just over a year later, I’m in the midst of my 8th Mastermind group. With each group, I strive to improve my facilitation skills, and to up-level the experience of the participants.

Not only has my life been forever changed, but others’ lives are being impacted beyond what I ever thought they would.

This was “proven” to me when one of the participants from my fifth Mastermind group recently told me, “Your class changed my life.” Wow! I was taught by Scott Fay, one of the mentors on the team to “learn it, live it, and lead others to it.”

That participant’s comment helped me to realize that this teaching has transformed the reality in my life and in the lives of those in my Mastermind groups. I am humbled and honored to have this chance to plant seeds of growth and transformation by doing something as simple, and as profound, as facilitating discussions around worthwhile topics, such as personal growth and leadership. By intentionally taking time to discuss how we are applying what we’ve learned. Those in the groups are truly experiencing the POWER of the mastermind.

About Amy:

Amy J. Malay, Chief Change Leader at Join Me on the Journey, is a certified coach, trainer, and speaker with the John Maxwell Team, and is the Director of Team Development at Ambassador Advisors (Lancaster, PA). Amy desires to be an agent of change in others’ lives and businesses.

She helps individuals and teams to identify and intentionally change in areas where they feel growth is needed. Amy has accumulated over 30 years of business experience in a variety of industries, and is well-equipped to serve you and your team in areas such as leadership, communication, team building, and personal growth. Change leadership is her passion and transformation is the goal!