A key element of achieving joyful impact is to work effectively with other people on ideas that are bigger than any one of us.  This means treating each other in a fundamentally better way, using consideration and collaboration rather than forms of contempt or objectification, such as coercion, manipulation or even violence.  Getting in the "green zone" of effective collaboration with others requires us to draw on the the tools of deep listening, collaborative problem solving, partnership brokering and transformative personal influence.

This post shares a framework for understanding the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, and identifies a set of questions to ask yourself that will help you land in the "green zone" for maximizing your collaboration and positive influence with others, even in challenging circumstances:

• Before trying to enlist others in my plan, have I asked if the greatest impact would come from committing to follow someone else’s vision instead?...

A mastermind is a group of peers that meets regularly, typically once a month for 2-4 hours.   They provide a sounding board where you can share the best 5% and the worst 5% of your life and your challenges in a totally confidential setting.  This is one of the rarest, and most powerful personal growth accelerants there is.    In YPO and EO (the Entrepreneurs Organization), monthly mastermind groups are called "forums" and they are the centerpiece of that experience, covering all aspects of personal and professional life.

Mastermind groups expose you to all kinds of learning opportunities when it comes to assembling the knowledge, skills and mindsets that you need to accelerate your journey to joyful impact.   Your peers in a mastermind group are ready and willing to offer something far more valuable than their advice—they are giving you the benefit of their real life experience dealing with similar challenges...