Kafka and Havel: Leadership, Ethics and Economics

At Hebrew University in 1990 Havel made the bold claim that, “I sometimes feel I'm the only one who really understands Kafka.” What did he mean by this, and why does it tell us so much about the dynamics of leadership and power? Professor Leah Tomkins, author of the ground-breaking book, Franz Kafka and the Truths of Leadership (2024) will join VHL Director Tomáš Sedláček on stage for a discussion about absurdity, the economics of attention, and the role of power in leadership. Tomkins argues that Kafka anticipated our contemporary collective attention crisis, with ethics hinging not on good versus evil, but rather on who is really paying attention. Havel too found himself in the seat of political power struggling with its ambiguous and delusive diversions. As leaders struggle with their own shrinking attention-spans, as well as with how to direct their supporters’ attention in an increasingly polarised world, there are surprisingly practical ideas and tactics one can take from Kafka’s work, which resonated so strongly with Havel. Invitation here: https://havellibrary-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/vaclav_doubravsky_vaclavhavel_cz/IQAHaEswZ74IRYJ8C_wF98l4AS38LVRv-ZrACJH8kRe9lcw?e=cZn5OM