Principle #9 — The Mastermind
Part 9 of 13 | Think and Grow Rich — Lessons for the Indian Investor
Vikram managed a team of twelve people at work. He was sharp, analytical, and decisive.
But when it came to his own money, he operated entirely alone. He chose funds by reading articles. He reviewed his portfolio in isolation, at midnight, when he was already tired and stressed. His wife was not involved in the decisions. He had no advisor. He had no one to call when he was about to do something rash.
In 2022, during a period of rising interest rates and falling equity markets, Vikram decided to exit all his equity mutual funds and park everything in FDs.
No one stopped him. No one asked him about his goals or his time horizon. No one pointed out that he had twelve years to retirement and that this was exactly the kind of short-term volatility that long-term investors are paid to absorb.
He booked significant losses and missed the subsequent recovery entirely.
Hill’s Mastermind principle
Napoleon Hill’s ninth principle is one of the most practical in the entire book. He defines a Mastermind as a coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.
The simplest version: surround yourself with people who are smarter than you in the areas that matter, and let their thinking supplement yours.
Hill believed that a group of minds working harmoniously on a single problem produces something greater than the sum of individual thinking. Modern research on collaboration largely agrees.
“No two minds ever come together without creating a third — an invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind.” — Napoleon Hill
What a financial mastermind looks like
It does not require a formal group. It requires intention.
At minimum, it means: one trusted person who understands your financial situation and can reflect it back to you when your emotions are taking over. A spouse who is informed and involved. A fee-based or commission-based advisor who is accountable and whose job is your outcome.
Vikram’s mistake was not analytical. It was structural. He had no one in his corner who could say: ‘Wait. Let’s look at this again.’
After 2022, he changed that. His wife joined every annual financial review. He started working with an advisor. He created a rule: no fund exits without sleeping on it for a week and discussing with at least one person.
You are the average of the financial decisions around you. Choose who influences those decisions with as much care as you choose the funds themselves.
Want to put these ideas to work in your own financial life? At rahulmoney.com, I help salaried professionals build simple, goal-based mutual fund portfolios. If you would like a free conversation to get started, reach out via the website.
Disclaimer: Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme-related documents carefully before investing. Rahul Bhaskarini | ARN: 351164 | rahulmoney.com