Human-centeredness has become a keyword in management, education, and social policy today. There’s much talk about employee comfort and creating a “green” work environment. However, one fundamental question is rarely addressed in this conversation: who supports the entrepreneur? Yet, it’s the entrepreneur who is the first adult to put on a mask on the plane.
Entrepreneurs bear enormous emotional and physical strain and face daily shortages of financial, human, and time resources. But in reality, a business’s most valuable resource is the entrepreneur’s cognitive capacity — their ability to perceive, process, and retain information in a climate of constant uncertainty.
We discussed this with Vladimir Spiridonov, Doctor of Psychology and Head of the Cognitive Research Laboratory at the Faculty of Psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), in our on-site video podcast, “Post-Innovative Economy.” The recording took place at the unique Richter Hotel, which itself is a shining example of entrepreneurial creativity.
We discussed the unique characteristics of an entrepreneur’s mindset, whether it’s possible to develop a talent for this activity, why one shouldn’t rely entirely on business accelerators, and what support psychology can provide in developing entrepreneurial projects. Furthermore, at the end of the conversation, Vladimir Feliksovich offered a number of specific tips on taking care of oneself and one’s emotional and cognitive well-being.