My answer to What is it like to work with Vladimir Putin?

Answer by Abbey Laurel-Smith:

Fun, fast paced, business like and rewarding – so long as you know your stuff, can produce results and not pretentious in any way. 

With him, you get to learn about the true meaning of MASKIROVA (a traditional mind game of which he is an expert) how to adapt it to everything and almost anything.  In short, you learn to be Russian all over again because you see him put what he says to play.

One time, he is listening and micro managing and the next he is delegating.  Nonetheless, it is all about the business of the state and improving Russian lives by sorting out the right man for the job to him, rather than the best man.  The best man could be a heartless, single minded, egoistic and a prone to self serving views.

He keep notes when he can.  He never forgets a face and whatever your last conversation with him was, meanwhile he encourages you to treat your mind as if it is a computer hard drive – meaning, weed out the junk and never allow frivolous things to take up unnecessary space.

One thing though: he is passionate about having people with settled family life around him.

What is it like to work with Vladimir Putin?