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The Path of Rocks and Thorns: Leadership Lessons from a Prison Cell
The Path of Rocks and Leadership Lessons from a Prison Cell is the leadership book that should change the conversation about how great leaders emerge. Douglas Smith’s deeply personal story—of childhood trauma, addiction, mental illness, incarceration, and ultimately, recovery—follows the structure of Dante’s Inferno, using it as a metaphor for descending into hell in order to ascend toward purpose. His journey is not for the faint of heart, and this is far from an easy read. Yet the raw vulnerability and hard-won insight Smith brings to his teachings deliver a powerful Anyone who has fallen can rise.
For those who feel stuck in their careers, paralyzed by anxiety or burdened by the weight of past failures, this book offers a gripping, unvarnished look at how real leadership is forged through accountability, humility, and inner transformation. It challenges the hollow formulas of mainstream leadership books and speaks directly to those seeking something deeper—those in recovery, those rebuilding after loss, and those who know that the path to becoming a great leader often begins in the dark. The Path of Rocks and Thorns is a roadmap for rising—not despite your story, but because of it.
For those who feel stuck in their careers, paralyzed by anxiety or burdened by the weight of past failures, this book offers a gripping, unvarnished look at how real leadership is forged through accountability, humility, and inner transformation. It challenges the hollow formulas of mainstream leadership books and speaks directly to those seeking something deeper—those in recovery, those rebuilding after loss, and those who know that the path to becoming a great leader often begins in the dark. The Path of Rocks and Thorns is a roadmap for rising—not despite your story, but because of it.
246 pages, Paperback
Published July 29, 2025
1 person is currently reading
1891 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Smith
1 book1 followerDouglas Smith, MSSW, is a leadership development trainer, certified trauma-informed coach, and the author of The Path of Rocks and Thorns: Leadership Lessons from a Prison Cell.
He brings over a decade of experience in mental health and justice policy, having served as a policy expert at the Texas House of Representatives and later as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Texas Center for Justice and Equity. He also spent more than eight years as an adjunct professor of social policy at the University of Texas at Austin.
Doug specializes in helping individuals—and organizations—lead from a place of accountability, self-awareness, and integrity, with a focus on those who have experienced trauma, mental illness, addiction, or incarceration. His work centers on building trauma-informed leadership practices and supporting communities working to end the criminalization of people with mental health needs.
He holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his coaching certification through Erickson Coaching International with an emphasis in trauma-informed practice.
Doug’s approach is deeply shaped by personal experience. He has lived through mental illness, substance use disorder, and incarceration—and it is through these experiences that he discovered the leadership lessons at the heart of his work today.
He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, three adult children, and three rescue dogs.
He brings over a decade of experience in mental health and justice policy, having served as a policy expert at the Texas House of Representatives and later as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Texas Center for Justice and Equity. He also spent more than eight years as an adjunct professor of social policy at the University of Texas at Austin.
Doug specializes in helping individuals—and organizations—lead from a place of accountability, self-awareness, and integrity, with a focus on those who have experienced trauma, mental illness, addiction, or incarceration. His work centers on building trauma-informed leadership practices and supporting communities working to end the criminalization of people with mental health needs.
He holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his coaching certification through Erickson Coaching International with an emphasis in trauma-informed practice.
Doug’s approach is deeply shaped by personal experience. He has lived through mental illness, substance use disorder, and incarceration—and it is through these experiences that he discovered the leadership lessons at the heart of his work today.
He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, three adult children, and three rescue dogs.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 21, 2025
The Review
This was a powerful read. The author did a masterful job of conveying the personal and emotional weight of his own experiences and journey while also utilizing literary metaphors such as Dante's Inferno to bring to life those experiences, from his struggles with addiction and mental illness to being incarcerated and finding recovery and newfound purpose in the wake of those struggles. The imagery these chapters conveyed and the emotional weight of those experiences will resonate with readers for a more relatable experience.
The great thing about this book was the way the author was able to relate these experiences to leadership goals and business as a whole. The book showcased the author's experiences both as an individual and through work with diverse communities of all walks of life, giving a more compassion-driven and heartfelt take on the leadership needed in business to be both practical and empathetic towards the businesses being driven by individuals as a whole. It also speaks to the strength that can arise within those who have struggled through much and yet can find a way to rise above those struggles and find success.
The Verdict
Thought-provoking, inspiring, and engaging, author Douglas Smith’s “The Path of Rocks & Thorns” is a must-read nonfiction book on business and personal triumph. The detailed, individual nature of the author’s story and the ways he can relate those lessons from those experiences to the idea of business leadership, and the literary references used to describe that journey, made this a memorable book to get lost in.
This was a powerful read. The author did a masterful job of conveying the personal and emotional weight of his own experiences and journey while also utilizing literary metaphors such as Dante's Inferno to bring to life those experiences, from his struggles with addiction and mental illness to being incarcerated and finding recovery and newfound purpose in the wake of those struggles. The imagery these chapters conveyed and the emotional weight of those experiences will resonate with readers for a more relatable experience.
The great thing about this book was the way the author was able to relate these experiences to leadership goals and business as a whole. The book showcased the author's experiences both as an individual and through work with diverse communities of all walks of life, giving a more compassion-driven and heartfelt take on the leadership needed in business to be both practical and empathetic towards the businesses being driven by individuals as a whole. It also speaks to the strength that can arise within those who have struggled through much and yet can find a way to rise above those struggles and find success.
The Verdict
Thought-provoking, inspiring, and engaging, author Douglas Smith’s “The Path of Rocks & Thorns” is a must-read nonfiction book on business and personal triumph. The detailed, individual nature of the author’s story and the ways he can relate those lessons from those experiences to the idea of business leadership, and the literary references used to describe that journey, made this a memorable book to get lost in.
Displaying 1 of 1 review