“Let my people go surfing” by Yvon Chouinard … and other books that have inspired me in recent months … from hidden geniuses to storytelling brands, thinking like a minimalist and reinventing luxury

September 25, 2025

It’s a superfast, crazy and unpredictable world – no time to read, no time to think – indeed, leaders face unprecedented challenges: rapidly evolving technologies, shifting consumer expectations, and the imperative to balance profitability with purpose.

Success no longer comes solely from operational excellence or market dominance—it requires vision, creativity, and a deep understanding of people, brands, and the future. For executives, marketers, and entrepreneurs alike, reading widely is not just a pastime; it is a strategic investment in insight, perspective, and innovation.

The following eight books offer a rich mix of practical guidance, inspirational stories, and forward-thinking frameworks that can help leaders navigate this complex world. Some reveal the mental habits of extraordinary performers, others illuminate minimalist principles for clarity in a noisy marketplace, while a few offer visionary approaches to sustainability, futures thinking, and storytelling.

Together, these books provide a roadmap for leaders who want to think differently, act strategically, and inspire teams and customers alike. In the sections that follow, we explore each book in depth, highlighting the lessons, insights, and practical takeaways that can shape smarter, more purposeful leadership.

Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard

Yvon Chouinard’s memoir and manifesto, Let My People Go Surfing, blends storytelling with philosophy, offering an unconventional yet deeply principled approach to business leadership. As founder of Patagonia, Chouinard recounts the company’s journey from a small climbing equipment shop to a globally recognized outdoor brand. Yet the focus is never on profit alone; it is on purpose, values, and stewardship of the planet.

Chouinard presents his core belief: business can—and should—be a force for good. He describes decisions that challenge conventional corporate thinking, such as promoting work-life balance, embracing environmental responsibility, and taking bold stances on social issues. The book highlights Patagonia’s commitment to sustainable materials, activism, and long-term thinking, offering a model of how ethical principles can coexist with commercial success.

In the 1950s, Chouinard began blacksmithing to create his own climbing gear, leading to the establishment of Chouinard Equipment. This venture eventually became the largest supplier of climbing hardware in the U.S., highlighting his commitment to quality and innovation.

Chouinard’s environmental consciousness grew over time, influencing Patagonia’s product choices. In the 1990s, he emphasized that the company’s existence was to generate profits for environmental causes, integrating sustainability into the core of the business

“When the waves are good, surf. When there’s powder on the mountains, ski.”

This guiding principle reflects Chouinard’s belief in prioritizing passion and well-being over rigid work schedules. It underscores Patagonia’s flexible work culture, where employees are encouraged to embrace nature and personal pursuits, fostering creativity and satisfaction.

“You can’t wait until you have all the answers before you act.”

The memoir is infused with humour, irreverence, and personal reflection, making it engaging while conveying profound lessons about leadership, culture, and innovation. It challenges readers to reconsider the role of business in society, encouraging leaders to prioritize integrity, environmental stewardship, and human-centered management.

Ultimately, Let My People Go Surfing is more than a company history; it is a manifesto for conscious, values-driven leadership that inspires readers to redefine what success truly means in business.

Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking That Power the World’s Most Successful People by Polina Marinova Pompliano

Hidden Genius delves into the cognitive habits, thought patterns, and decision-making approaches that distinguish high achievers across industries. Polina Marinova Pompliano draws from interviews with entrepreneurs, creatives, and investors to uncover mental frameworks that enable success in uncertain, high-pressure environments.

The book is both inspiring and practical. It identifies key traits such as pattern recognition, contrarian thinking, disciplined curiosity, and resilience, showing how these habits translate into real-world results. Pompliano highlights how successful people structure their time, manage risks, and cultivate networks to amplify their impact.

Chef Grant Achatz, renowned for his innovative approach to molecular gastronomy, faced a devastating challenge when diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer. The disease threatened not only his life but also his ability to taste and create. Undeterred, Achatz adapted by focusing on the interplay of sight and smell to craft flavors, transforming his culinary creations into multisensory experiences. This reinvention exemplifies the power of resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.

David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL and ultramarathon runner, is renowned for his mental toughness and ability to push through extreme pain. Pompliano delves into his philosophy, emphasizing the importance of facing discomfort and using it as a catalyst for personal growth. Goggins’ story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and the mindset required to achieve extraordinary feats.

By focusing on the psychology behind performance rather than just tactics or strategy, Hidden Genius empowers readers to rethink how they approach challenges and opportunities. It blends narrative, case studies, and exercises, making it actionable for leaders who want to optimize thinking, creativity, and influence. The book’s unconventional lens—examining the “how” of thought rather than the “what” of actions—offers a fresh perspective on personal and organizational success.

Think Like The Minimalist by Chirag Gander and Sahil Vaidya

Think Like The Minimalist explores how simplicity can become a strategic asset in modern business. Gander and Vaidya argue that in today’s cluttered marketplaces, less is often more: a minimalist approach to design, communication, and user experience allows brands to stand out, focus attention, and foster deeper connections with customers.

The book illustrates minimalist principles in branding, product design, UX, and customer communication. It emphasizes clarity, precision, and intentionality, guiding leaders to strip away noise and focus on what truly matters. By showcasing case studies and practical examples, the authors demonstrate how leading brands have used minimalism not just aesthetically but strategically, simplifying customer journeys, messaging, and product offerings.

What makes the book compelling is its insistence on thoughtful reduction rather than arbitrary removal. Minimalism, the authors argue, is about maximizing impact, creating emotional resonance, and enhancing usability. The book also explores cultural and psychological aspects, showing how minimal design encourages engagement and loyalty in modern consumers who are increasingly overwhelmed by choice and information.

Through accessible storytelling and concrete frameworks, Think Like The Minimalist inspires leaders to apply disciplined simplicity to their branding and business strategy, achieving elegance, focus, and long-term differentiation.

Facing Our Futures: How Foresight, Futures Design and Strategy Creates Prosperity and Growth by Nikolas Badminton

Facing Our Futures presents a forward-looking, methodical approach to strategy in an unpredictable world. Nikolas Badminton emphasizes that traditional linear planning is no longer sufficient in the face of rapid technological change, geopolitical shifts, and societal transformation. Instead, organizations need to develop foresight capabilities: the ability to anticipate, explore, and shape multiple potential futures.

The book introduces practical tools such as scenario planning, horizon scanning, and the Positive Dystopia Canvas—a method for imagining disruptive futures to inform current strategy. Badminton stresses that foresight is not merely about prediction; it is about resilience, adaptability, and creative problem-solving. Leaders learn to frame uncertainties as opportunities for innovation rather than threats to stability.

Drawing on examples from companies, governments, and social innovators, the book illustrates how futures thinking can lead to both commercial success and societal impact. Badminton bridges the gap between theory and practice, showing how strategic foresight informs investment decisions, product development, talent management, and ecosystem building.

The prose is both visionary and grounded. It inspires leaders to cultivate a forward-thinking mindset, challenge assumptions, and design organizations that can thrive amid volatility. Ultimately, Facing Our Futures positions foresight not as an optional skill but as an essential capability for creating sustained prosperity and growth in the 21st century.

The Life Cycle of a CEO: The Myths and Truths of How Leaders Succeed by Claudius Hildebrand and Robert  Stark

In The Life Cycle of a CEO, Hildebrand and Stark explore the evolving journey of modern business leaders, offering an evidence-based and nuanced perspective on what it takes to succeed at the highest level. The authors identify five stages of a CEO’s journey—launch, calibration, reinvention, complacency, and legacy—illustrating how leadership is dynamic, not fixed.

The book combines data from studies of hundreds of CEOs with vivid anecdotes to challenge conventional myths about leadership. It examines the pressures, decision-making dilemmas, and psychological demands faced by executives, highlighting both triumphs and failures. The authors emphasize that effective leaders learn to adapt their style, cultivate emotional intelligence, and align personal values with organizational vision.

Practical frameworks guide readers through critical inflection points in a CEO’s tenure: recognizing when to pivot strategy, how to manage stakeholder expectations, and ways to foster innovation while maintaining stability. By blending research with narrative, the book provides lessons not only for aspiring CEOs but for all leaders seeking to understand the evolving demands of senior leadership.

Ultimately, The Life Cycle of a CEO reframes success as a journey of growth, learning, and adaptation rather than a static endpoint, offering guidance and inspiration for leaders navigating complex, high-stakes roles.

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

Donald Miller’s Building a StoryBrand provides a clear, actionable roadmap for businesses seeking to clarify their messaging and engage customers through narrative. The central premise is deceptively simple: customers are the heroes of your brand story, not your company. By positioning the business as a guide rather than the protagonist, leaders can communicate more effectively and motivate action.

Miller introduces a seven-part StoryBrand framework, encompassing clarity in messaging, customer motivation, and a compelling call to action. The book blends practical exercises, examples, and narrative theory, emphasizing that coherent stories simplify decision-making for customers and enhance engagement.

What makes this book valuable for leaders is its ability to translate abstract storytelling concepts into tangible marketing strategies. Through the lens of story, brands can craft messages that are memorable, persuasive, and emotionally resonant, ultimately improving conversion, loyalty, and brand perception. Miller’s approach has influenced companies across industries, from startups to global enterprises, demonstrating the universal power of story in business.

Reimagining Luxury: Building a Sustainable Future for Your Brand by Diana Verde Nieto

In Reimagining Luxury, my good friend (and coauthor!) Diana Verde Nieto explores how luxury brands can integrate sustainability without compromising heritage or desirability. The book combines theory, strategy, and case studies to show how companies can innovate, reduce environmental impact, and build long-term value while maintaining aspirational appeal.

Diana emphasizes that sustainability is not just a moral imperative but a strategic opportunity. Through examples of brands like LVMH and Kering, she illustrates how luxury companies can redefine craftsmanship, sourcing, and storytelling to align with evolving consumer expectations. Leaders are guided to implement frameworks that embed sustainability into brand strategy, operations, and communication, turning ethical responsibility into competitive advantage.

Here are 10 soundbites from the passionate Brazilian author:

  • “Sustainability must be more than just a trend; it needs to be a seamless part of business and everyday life.”

  • “We need to create a state of competition for being more socio-environmentally positive, not just less negative.”

  • “The definition of luxury has changed – present-day luxury is about inclusive exclusivity, encompasses experience innovation, and has a more concentrated focus on social and environmental issues.”

  • “Knowledge is the new consumer currency.”

  • “Being net positive is so much more exciting and galvanizing than being a ‘bit less negative.’”

  • “I think I knew about the fragility of our planet a long time ago. This is my vocation, not my job.”

  • “We need to make space, not take space.”

  • “Business can—and should—be a force for good.”

  • “Our philosophies aren’t rules; they’re guidelines.”

  • “We have to take responsibility for what we make, from birth to death and then beyond death, back to rebirth.”

The book blends narrative insight with actionable guidance, making it a practical resource for executives aiming to lead in the future of luxury. By presenting sustainability as a design and strategic principle rather than a constraint, she inspires leaders to envision a profitable and purposeful luxury sector.

Effective Brand Building: Unlock Growth with Strategy, Insights, and Measurement by Andrew Geoghegan

Andrew Geoghegan’s Effective Brand Building is a modern blueprint for leaders and marketers seeking to balance the art and science of brand creation. The book begins with the premise that brands are not static identities but living entities that require careful cultivation over time. Geoghegan emphasizes that effective branding is both strategic and measurable: it is about creating long-term emotional value while delivering short-term business results.

What sets the book apart is its systematic approach. Geoghegan introduces frameworks that guide brand decision-making, from identifying core purpose and positioning to aligning touchpoints across multiple channels. He provides practical tools for measuring brand health, engagement, and impact on business outcomes, allowing marketers to connect strategy with tangible metrics. The text draws on examples from global leaders such as Apple, Unilever, and other iconic brands, demonstrating how theory translates into practice.

A central theme is balance. While short-term campaigns are necessary for performance, Geoghegan warns against sacrificing long-term brand equity. His approach encourages leaders to invest in emotional connections, narrative consistency, and customer trust, which ultimately drive sustainable growth. Throughout, the book reinforces the idea that branding is both a science and an art, requiring analytical rigor as well as creative thinking.

Geoghegan’s writing is clear, structured, and highly actionable, making it accessible to both experienced marketers and executives responsible for strategic oversight. By the end of the book, readers are equipped not just to build brands, but to measure their impact, guide their evolution, and create a lasting competitive advantage in increasingly crowded markets.

More from the blog