Episode Details

Candide by Francois Voltaire w/Tom Libby & Jesan Sorrells
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Dissecting Voltaire’s Candide with Jesan Sorrells and Tom Libby, this episode kicks off Season Five by exploring the absurdities of leadership, the legacy of Enlightenment thinking, and the challenge of sincerity in a meme-driven world. They unpack Voltaire’s satire to reveal practical lessons for modern leaders, including confronting organizational absurdity, distinguishing between moral and physical courage, and the enduring impact of literary wit on Western civilization.

• Book: Candide
• Author: Voltaire
• Guests: Jesan Sorrells, Tom Libby

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Time Stamped Overview
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00:00 "Voltaire, Leadership, and Absurdity"

11:11 Voltaire, Swingers, and Pancakes

14:12 "Timeless Stories Often Retold"

17:38 "Reassembling Lost Meaning"

26:36 "The Impact of the Printing Press."

32:50 "Candide: Chapter 2 Overview."

37:58 "Voltaire, War, and Absurdity."

41:50 "Voltaire's Cynicism and Candide."

44:46 "Leaders Are Problem Solvers."

50:55 "Disgust, Pragmatism, and Leadership."

57:16 "Timeless Thinkers and Their Impact."

01:04:07 "Candide's Ordeal and Reflection."

01:08:14 "Limits of Enlightenment and Reason."

01:14:41 Promote Team Builders, Not Performers

01:19:28 "Moral Courage Over Physical Acts."

01:25:34 "Challenges in Leadership Perspective."

01:27:58 "Shift to Prompt-Based Thinking."

01:33:23 "Ironic Detachment in Leadership."

01:41:26 Empathy and Generational Disconnect

01:45:50 "Gen X's Call to Action."

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Opening and closing themes composed by Brian Sanyshyn of Brian Sanyshyn Music.
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• Pick up your copy of 12 Rules for Leaders: The Foundation of Intentional Leadership NOW on AMAZON!
• Check out the Leadership Lessons From the Great Books podcast reading list!

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