The dictionary meaning of Mastermind is, “A highly intelligent person, especially one who plans and directs a complex or
difficult project”.
We know a Compass shows its needle always towards North.
But, if a person’s mental needle always points out towards, ‘Success’,
If an individual’s hunger for success remains unsatiated
If one is an expert in holding the collar of the mind still wherever he wishes
If a person ‘s mind is at his beck and call
He is a Mastermind.
What makes a Mastermind stand out?
His ‘Killer instinct.’
Chanakya, the great economist of yore and the writer of ancient authoritative treatise on economics, defines ‘Killer instinct’ as a passionate desire to do any work in a ruthless way. To illustrate his point of view, he relates the following.
Kill your enemy, burn ,pick the ashes, mix in a glass of water and drink it away. Though, the statement of Chanakya is symbolic, it gives a vivid picture of intensity of passion, one is supposed to have, if one wants to be a Mastermind.
The entire gist of ‘Killer instinct’ , points towards only one thing. ‘Don’t quit till you achieve.’
Here is a small list of such Masterminds, who never rested, till they got what they wanted.
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of USA, never knew what’s success. Wherever he went and whatever he has done, all resulted in failures. But the killer instinct in him stood in good stead. When he walked in to the white house as the President
of the USA, he had the last laugh. A Mastermind’s laugh.
Pythagoras,
neither complained nor lamented over the inadequate facilities and amenities, but never deterred by the adverse conditions around him, went on to invent the famous Pythagoras theorem, that made him immortal.
Winston Churchill
The British politician , statesman and a great wartime leader, had ‘speech impediment.’ But he set his deficiency aside , stormed in to the sphere of elite with mere killer instinct.
Martin Luther King,
the messiah of the oppressed black people of United states of America, created a flame of awareness in the Black people with his historical speech,
“I had a dream.”
A Mastermind’s Proactive quality
Thinking and acting one step ahead of an event is the supreme quality a Mastermind is endowed with. It means, a Mastermind uses anticipation to his advantage and more often than not will emerge as a Champion.The quality of waiting for an opportune time seems something alien to a Mastermind. This is the quality that makes a Mastermind head and shoulders above the rest.
Embraces change
A change creates a shudder and a chill in the spine of many people. They do not realize that ‘Change is the only constant in life.’ But it’s different for Masterminds. They regard every change as an opportunity for opening a new chapter in their lives. Of course, it requires lot of guts to accept and adopt to change.
Tames the mind
Mind is a monkey as far as a Mastermind is concerned. Mind makes people switch over from one thought to another thought. It will not allow you to stay calm. It makes them swing like a clock’s pendulum. This is the modus operandi of mind and it takes
advantage of your inherent qualities of fear, hesitation and shyness.
Generally, it pulls your legs whenever you contemplate to undertake a task.But, it’s altogether a different proposition with a Mastermind. He refuses to dance to the tunes of the mind. He takes the charge and snubs the tricks and wiles of the mind. In no time, a
Mastermind takes control over his mind and makes it his slave.
Perseverance
While attempting to face a challenge, one has to face innumerable setbacks. Any ordinary mortal will bury himself under a big heap of disappointment and grief. But a Master mind moulds every setback in to a comeback with vengeance. This time
ensuring not repeating the earlier mistakes.
Who doesn’t know about the most prolific inventor of America, Thomas Alva Edison?
While in the process of inventing the electric bulb, Edison faced failures after failures not once, but one thousand times. But he refused to give up. Each failure has been treated as a step towards success.
A unique attitude
We often see examples of success stories around us. Say , persons rising to a position of eminence with meager and inadequate condition around them. on the other hand, persons despite ample opportunities at their disposal fail to make a
mark in their lives.
How?
The answer is ‘Attitude.’
And it goes without saying, persons who have the uncanny knack of cashing the opportunities around them to their advantage are the Masterminds.
Summing up all, it’s the quality of possessing a different ‘Attitude’ makes people stand out.
The Fuel that drives a Mastermind.
The fuel that drives a mastermind ahead is not the conventional Gasoline. It’s a strong desire. A desire that burns in the people and will not allow them to rest until they achieve what they want.
Muhammad Ali
the phenomenal Boxer exhibited his strong will not just to reach the top, but stay at the top forever and stay in the hearts if the people for eternity. Muhammad Ali has become the first person in history to have won the heavy weight boxing championship three times.
From mere Spark to Conflagration
When Muhammad Ali was 12 years old, his bicycle was stolen. The infuriated boy not only wanted to find out the thief of his bicycle, But also wanted to knock him down. A coach adviised him “Unless you practice Boxing, you cannot knock a person down.”
This spark, ignited his imagination and did not allow him to sleep until that spark became a conflagration.
WishCraft
Barbara Sher’s famous book Wishcraft, dicusses at length a plethora of qualities in a Mastermind. The book stresses on the
need of having the trait to ‘Win over the people who are successful.’ Simply put, a killer instinct in an enormous magnitude.
She opines, ’Any one can become a winner. But winning over a winner is the greatest quality.
His own critic
Masterminds do not compromise with the quality .When Walt Disney’s ambitious project, Pirates of the Caribbean ride was about to open, Walt Disney wanted to have a tour around to check up how things are shaping up. But strangely, there was a trace of disappointment was conspicuously visible on his face.
Walt Disney felt that there was something missing in the set up. But , unable to say pin pointedly what was missing.
Then he started asking all in the group of people who were following him , whether it was looking alright. None could say about any deficiency. Costumes, flora and fauna, buildings all looked impeccable and spotless. But nothing satisfied Disney.
Then he turned towards a young sweeper asked him, if he could see anything missing in the set up.
“I think, generally on a summer night like this, it would be appropriate to introduce glowing worms or lightning bugs in ti the
scene. It looks more natural and very close to authentic.” Said the sweeper.
Walt Disney’s face lit up, and shouted with glee, “There you are.”
That’s the quality of a Mastermind.
Challenges himself
Once, the southern Super star, Kamalahasan was asked, “Are you scared of critics?” Kamalahasan replied that he was scared
of critics and loves criticism too, because that helps him in bettering his own standards.
“Who is that critic you are scared of?” again he was asked. Pat came the reply,
“I’m my greatest critic and I’m scared of him. My critic will not spare any compromise with the quality. And he often asks me not to satisfy with what I have already earned. He insists on raising my bar every time I excel.
So, in order to appease my inner critic, I challenge myself to achieve new heights in my career.”
That’s the hall mark of a Mastermind.
You are not a Mastermind if
You think, luck must be there in order to achieve quality.
You think, there should be a Godfather or Godmother if you want to achieve success.
You think one needs to be a member of a famous family in order to achieve success.
You think One should be a trickster and an expert cheat to gain prominence and achieve success.
You think none can prosper without sycophancy.
3Cs
The only thing required for anybody who wishes to be a Mastermind, who is as poor as a slum dweller or an aristocrat from an
illustrious family, is a “Will to Win”, which is a combination of 3 Cs, commitment, conviction and Consistency.