The unusual effectiveness of mastermind circles

Everyone needs a place to be heard, to be supported, and to be pushed. My leadership quest team, The Liberators, created Mastermind Circles, a 10-week program where Cornell students set semester-long goals and worked towards them. There were a variety of goals from securing a job to running a YouTube channel, creating a video game, and improving work-life balance. Members struggled week after week, figuring out what motivates them and what will actually help them achieve their goals.

What we saw was that creating the space where we can talk about our goals, triumphs and challenges, Mastermind Circles became a place where setting a goal will actually matter to others. By talking about goals, people became more aware of themselves, what they want, and what works for them. Support provides celebration for victories, and challenge made sure no one was left behind. With this, most members achieved or made significant progress toward their goals. Check out these quotes from members!

“Just the process of enrollment put me on a path towards my goal.”

“By setting good goals for myself and by consistently coming to mastermind circles, I can inspire real change in myself that I never thought possible.”

“Surrounding yourself with people that show up for each other to hold one another accountable has by far been the best method for me to get the push I needed … I will definitely seek out this kind of support in the future.”

Even the Liberators saw the effectiveness of Mastermind Circles ourselves in our own facilitator debriefs. We collaborated and listened to each other a lot, creating program where each of us is highly committed to the values and purpose. And by using our debriefs as a space to celebrate wins and gather feedback on concerns and challenges, we grew and learned how to be effective facilitators and leaders. I’m so proud of this project, and can’t wait to see what each of us do in the future.

Summary

In One Piece, Luffy recruits his crew of Straw Hats based off vibes as they hop from island to island. What makes them so strong is that they are have a strong bond with each other. They are (or become) honest about their individual goals, celebrate each other’s wins with a light heart and food, and would sacrifices themselves in a heart beat if any of the other Straw Hats were danger. This is what makes the Straw Hats so strong.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank my fellow Liberators: Antranig Baghdassarian, Marco La Vecchia, and Natalina Putrino for all the amazing work they put into the Liberators and Mastermind Circles. Thanks to all 17 of the participants of our Mastermind Circles. Thanks to the rest of the Engineering Leadership cohort, as well as professor Erica Dawson, and coaches Rob Parker and Karel Hilversum. Thank you to Alex and Anthony Nivera.