MISLIŠTE Mislav Čavajda

Guest Mislav ČavajdaHosted by Sandro KraljevićMay 3, 2026

Mislav Čavajda

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Most people approach their work by thinking, doing, and then perhaps feeling. For Mislav Čavajda, an actor at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, the sequence is often reversed: he starts with feeling, then thinking, and only then doing. His craft demands a deep psychological exploration, a willingness to step into another's life so completely that, as he puts it, you can "live as many lives in one as you have roles played." This conversation with host Sandro Kraljević, a psychologist who advises on organizational excellence, unpacks the intense internal work of an actor. It reveals how a true "leap of faith" into the unknown can unlock profound creative moments, and what it means to surrender control for the sake of a performance. You will walk away with a new lens on understanding human experience, creativity, and the surprising power of psychological immersion in any demanding field.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Mislav's path to his profession started with an "intense burst of creative energy" from age six to eight, spending whole days painting and translating his inner world onto paper. The most enduring ventures are often rooted in a deep, almost involuntary preparation that begins in childhood, rather than a calculated plan or a later decision.

Mislav describes his profession as the chance to "live as many lives in one as you have roles played" by fully embodying diverse characters. True empathy in any field isn't just observation; it's the intentional, deep psychological work of stepping into another's full experience, even when it means hypothesizing emotions you haven't felt.

During a rehearsal for 'Gospoda Glembajevi,' Mislav and his colleague, without having memorized the script, moved through the space and delivered Krleža's complex lines perfectly for an hour. The most profound creative breakthroughs often emerge not from conscious effort, but from a moment of complete openness and surrender, where you become a "medium" for something larger than yourself.

While acknowledging that understanding psychology is desirable for an actor, Mislav admits his assumptions about other people's psychology often "crumble" because individuals consistently surprise him. Even with deep study, human nature resists prediction; the most effective approach in leadership or negotiation is often to prepare for the unexpected and acknowledge the limits of your own insight.

The demanding process of character development, which Mislav believes needs a minimum of two months, often gets "bombed" into just one due to production deadlines. Rushing a complex creative or strategic process always means sacrificing depth for speed, a trade-off that rarely yields the desired quality or truly internalizes the work.

Theatre performances are unique each night because of the audience's varying energy — one night vocal and engaged, the next silent. The quality of any live interaction isn't solely defined by your output; it's a dynamic feedback loop where the audience's response shapes your next move, even subtly.

Explore further

ScenariosBusiness challenges CardsEducational cards TimelineTopic evolution