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Joe Byerly sits down with Furman Daniel, author of Blood, Mud, and Oil Paint: The Remarkable Year That Made Winston Churchill. Together, they explore a transformative year in Churchill’s life—a time of political humiliation, personal reinvention, and the development of five life-changing gifts, including painting, friendship, and a modern perspective on warfare. Furman shares how Churchill’s resilience and adaptability during his darkest days laid the foundation for his iconic leadership during World War II.

This conversation is packed with timeless insights on failure, perseverance, and finding restoration through personal passions, offering applicable lessons for leaders at all levels:

Failure is a springboard for future success.
Creative outlets restore energy and focus.
Genuine friendships are invaluable during tough times.
Presence builds trust and respect as a leader.
Confidence balanced with humility fosters growth.
Perseverance leads to breakthroughs over time.
Stepping back provides clarity and perspective.
Lifelong learning is essential for great leadership.
And more!

Join Joe and Furman for an inspiring discussion on turning setbacks into triumphs and what it means to stay in the fight when the odds are against you.

Dr. John Furman Daniel III is an associate professor of political science at Concordia University. He has authored numerous publications on international relations theory, the influence of fiction on foreign policy decision-making, Edmund Burke, Carl von Clausewitz, George Patton, technology diffusion, space colonization and home-field advantage in Major League Baseball. His four books are 21st Century Patton: Strategic Insights for the Modern Era (2016), The First Space War: How Patterns of History and Principles of STEM Will Shape Its Form (2019), Patton: Battling with History (2020) and Blood, Mud and Oil Paint: The Remarkable Year that Made Winston Churchill (2024).

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Episode 245: Prophets (That’s all of us!) Need Love, Courage and Humility