The Path of Rocks and Thorns

Leadership Lessons from a Prison Cell

De: Douglas Smith

Narrado por: Douglas Smith

Not all leaders rise. Some are forged in fire. Doug Smith was a social worker, a policy insider at the Texas Capitol, and a father—until untreated mental illness and addiction led him to rob a bank and land in prison for nearly six years.

The Path of Rocks and Thorns isn’t a redemption story dressed up for TED. It’s a descent. A reckoning. And, ultimately, a resurrection. Structured like Dante’s Inferno, this unflinching memoir follows Smith’s journey through the darkest corners of his past—childhood trauma, shame, self-sabotage—and into the brutal clarity of prison. But within the chaos, he found something most leadership books never fully embrace: truth.

This is not a “five steps to better leadership” book. It’s a call to strip away the lies we tell ourselves and lead from a place of radical honesty, humility, and earned wisdom. Smith shares what he learned teaching sexual assault prevention inside prison walls, what it means to rebuild a life from nothing, and how leadership isn’t about status—it’s about service, integrity, and the ability to rise from your own wreckage.

For those stuck in cycles of failure, fighting to recover, or questioning their worth—this book doesn’t offer comfort. It offers something better: permission to lead anyway.

The Path of Rocks and Thorns is a raw and necessary story for anyone tired of corporate platitudes and hungry for something real. The truth is ugly. So is growth. But that’s where real leadership begins.

©2025 Douglas Smith (P)2025 Douglas Smith

Such an amazing and inspirational book!

The author did such an amazing job in both writing and narrating this book! He truly connects the reader through transparency and authenticity. I won't give any "spoilers" in my comments, but will share that this book isn't for someone who's never made a wrong turn in life, or ready to see how empowered you truly are when you stand in honesty with yourself. This book is meant for those who are ready to courageously embrace and cultivate the leader within themselves!