Creating Your Own Mastermind

“When you surround yourself with people who think differently, you see your blind spots.”

When I worked at Disney, I learned early on that no one has all the answers. There wasn’t someone sitting behind a desk that was the keeper of all the information. The best answers came when smart people who see the world differently were put together in the same room.

I’ve seen this over and over. You get a group of people from different backgrounds in a room and give them a problem to solve. It can be a chef, a doctor, a teacher, maybe even a comedian. Before long, the ideas start flying. Someone brings up an experience from their job, another shares something from church, and before you know it, you’ve got a dozen fresh ways to fix a problem that felt impossible yesterday.

That’s the power of a mastermind. They move all the titles or hierarchy away and prioritize perspective. When you surround yourself with people who think differently, you see your blind spots. You get challenged. Sometimes, you even get told, “You’re the problem.” And that’s okay. The truth may sting, but it always helps. And you have people there ready to help you find solutions.

At Disney, we used to gather groups from different departments to solve operational challenges. Every time, someone noticed something I missed. Maybe it was a small detail in guest flow or a system that could save time. Those insights made us better.

You don’t need a fancy event to make this work. You can create your own mastermind at work, in your community, or even with a group of friends. The key is diversity of experience. Get people who don’t think like you, who aren’t afraid to tell you the truth, and who genuinely want to help.

Remember that encouragement goes a long way. A simple word of belief can change someone’s entire outlook. They may feel like they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. But I’ve seen people transform just because someone told them, “You’ve got what it takes.” We all need that.

So build your circle. Ask for help. Listen to the truth, even when it’s hard to hear. You’ll be surprised how much wisdom is sitting right next to you. That is, if you’re willing to ask for it.