Dr John Kelly

Dr John Kelly graduated in Medicine in Queen’s University, Belfast in 1974.

As a social entrepreneur he developed an interest in the role of the brain in learning and in 2007 established Fingerprint Learning to promote Whole Brain Learning and Teaching in Education, Business and Health. He has published a book on Whole Brain Learning and Teaching available on Amazon.co.uk (see www.fingerprintlearning.com)

He co-led the research study on the Learning Preferences of Entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland – The EntrBRAINeur Studies 1 and 2 – commissioned by Invest NI and the Department for Employment and Learning NI.

One finding of the research was that most entrepreneurs brains are ‘wired to learn’ in ways that are diametrically opposite to teaching in formal education. Since then Fingerprint learning has worked to promote a better understanding of the role of education in the identification and development of entrepreneurs. It has also emphasised the importance of building a balanced team around the entrepreneurial flair for sustainable and successful enterprises.

This requires an understanding of the various styles of motivation in team members if an enterprising team is collaborate and not to waste energy and time in conflict and competition. In fact relational breakdown is quoted as one of the most common causes of breakdown in a business.

From the research Dr Kelly has developed the Business Mindset profile that not only identifies entrepreneurial ability but also provides a measure of how to find the best combination for a successful business team.

EntreBRAINeur Survey

Entrepreneurs/ intrapreneurs have distinctive ways of thinking and acting that mark them out as special individuals. Various approaches exist for identifying entrepreneurial traits. The Business Mindset Profile focuses on characteristics of how entrepreneurs think, based on The EntreBRAINeur Research Studies 1 and 2.

The studies were commissioned by Invest NI and the Department for Employment and Learning (NI) and undertaken by Fingerprint Learning and Stranmillis University College from 2010-2014.

The EntreBraineur Studies revealed a range of characteristics which are identified in the Business Mindset Profile. The profile has been used on thousands of individuals to discover where they are on the continuum. The Business Mindset Profile will tell you have if an individual you are working with has what it takes to be an entrepreneur. It will provide key advice on how to mentor or coach them successfully.

But it will do much more – it will tell you what kind of people potential entrepreneurs need around them to build a successful enterprise. Every successful business team needs a balance all three kinds of people in the continuum illustrated below.

The Business Mindset Profile has been used by thousands of individuals to discover where they are on the continuum. But it has also been used to identify characteristics of team members who will work best with the entrepreneur. These characteristics go further than whether team members are Process-orientated or Enterprising. They also identify the Motivation Styles of the entrepreneur and each team member.

These include whether team members are

• Boundary Developers
• Boundary Keepers
• Boundary Pushers
• Boundary Fillers

Find out more by completing the Business Mindset Profile