By Vazgen Gevorkyan
In an era saturated with information, Vazgen Gevorkyan argues that true leadership is defined not by access to data, but by the cultivation of wisdom. Drawing from his diverse experience in infrastructure, banking, and hospitality, he explores how uncertainty, lifelong learning, and moral clarity shape effective, entrepreneurial, and resilient leadership today.
When information is everywhere, Vazgen Gevorkyan makes a very persuasive case that the leader’s currency is not information, but wisdom.
His work – in infrastructure, banking, and hotels – is representative of a focus on the application of knowledge through prudent judgement.
Gevorkyan asserts, “We have never had as much information at our fingertips; however, access cannot necessarily be translated into knowledge.”
He asserts that the paramount competence when dealing with the educated individual is the ability to filter, evaluate, and judiciously utilize information.
Learning Outside of Textbooks
Gevorkyan indicates that, on occasion, the best information comes from the least likely places.
He argues that his childhood, full of folk stories, made him no more impressionable than his university degree, asserting, “Education takes place in classrooms and ‘in the wild’ – from the environments and experiences that made us.”
It was the hunger for deeper knowledge and not the desire for honors that motivated him towards the goal of a Ph.D. He says that his dissertation work on resource-conservation management perhaps seemed too unorthodox. But it had a lasting significance for his subsequent work on the discipline.
Gevorkyan suggests that the endeavor into higher education is beyond superficial statements. It essentially means the development of one’s knowledge in order to make informed decisions in everyday contexts.
Embracing Uncertainty
While our time often urges one towards entrenched careers, Gevorkyan celebrates uncertainty. He acknowledges that at the age of 25, he found himself uncertain about his future professional directions, treating uncertainty as a vital force leading towards self-development.
“Doubt leads people to pursue inquiry, to throw themselves into the acquisition of knowledge, and into the refusal to be bound by a narrow definition of success.”
His rich experience in hospitality has taught him that “interpreting the mood or implicit expectation of a guest can also be a form of education.”
He says that dealing with problems in real-time is something that no book could ever prepare one enough to handle.
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
Gevorkyan sets a clear barrier between the fields of corporate business and entrepreneurship. While corporate methods show individuals how to manage risk within predetermined limits, “entrepreneurship accepts risk and tolerates freedom.” He observes that, as much as the two have their own merit, one should be mindful about the differences between the two.
He advocates that the greatest leadership transcends charisma, saying that one must demonstrate discipline, determination, and accountability.
“It is about empowering others, being clear headed under difficult conditions, and owning up when things go wrong.”
And finally, Gevorkyan asserts that the true measure of success is beyond commercial. “I foster curiosity, decency as founding values, and sustainable systems. Those are the things I try to instill when I mentor new startup founders.”
He asserts that, in the context of the information age, an individual’s worth is exclusively dictated by their decision-making ability, rather than by their achievements.
“Genuine education goes beyond the accomplishment of awards; it is the establishment of a lasting inclination towards lifelong learning, the expansion of one’s knowledge, and the prudent utilization of that intensive knowledge.”
Vazgen Gevorkyan
