The impact that stories leave can extend well beyond the last page. By activating both the emotional and analytical regions of the brain, tales have been shown by psychologists to influence empathy, memory, and even problem-solving abilities. A strong fictional universe can help readers view well-known problems in a new way, and a gripping storyline can reflect difficulties we encounter in real life. Because it enables us to investigate possibilities before verifying them, Albert Einstein famously remarked, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” In this expert roundup, professionals credit books that changed the way they lead, work, or think for their breakthroughs. Why do some stories stick with us and influence our choices in surprising ways long after we’ve put the book away?
Editor’s note: This piece references fictional works that contain dark or intense themes, including violence and trauma, which may not be suitable for all readers.
Table of Contents
Dark Library Novel Reshapes Creative Leadership Approach
The fantasy novel that most twisted—and ultimately expanded—how I approach creativity is The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. It’s not your classic coming-of-age fantasy or world-saving epic. It’s weird. It’s dark. It feels like Neil Gaiman and Cormac McCarthy had a fever dream and wrote a book together. But it absolutely shattered the way I thought about structure, voice, and imagination.
What hit me most was how it throws you into the deep end with no map. There’s no gentle worldbuilding intro, no lore dump to ease you in. Just chaos. But Hawkins trusts the reader to catch up. He builds this stitched-together mythos of ancient knowledge, godlike librarians, and cosmic-scale violence—and somehow, it works. That trust in the reader, that refusal to over-explain, felt like a creative permission slip: not everything needs to be clean and digestible. Sometimes the magic is in the mess.
That mindset bled into how I lead creative teams. I stopped trying to over-orchestrate everything. Instead of shipping polished ideas from the top down, I started giving the team raw clay—half-formed thoughts, constraints, weird questions—and letting them run with it. Some of our best product breakthroughs came from those chaotic corners.
Also, Library at Mount Char reminded me that absurdity and brutality can coexist with beauty and empathy. Which, let’s be honest, is also true of most startup journeys.
Derek Pankaew, CEO & Founder, Listening.com
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Dune Transforms Filmmaker’s Environmental Storytelling Technique
After 25+ years behind the camera capturing stories across Sudan, Guyana, and everywhere in between, I’d say *Dune* by Frank Herbert completely rewired how I approach visual storytelling. The way Herbert layers environmental storytelling – where the desert itself becomes a character that shapes every decision – directly influenced how I frame locations in my documentaries.
When I was filming *Saving 22* in Montana (the state with the highest veteran suicide rate), I realized I was using Herbert’s approach without even thinking about it. Instead of just shooting talking heads, I let the vast, isolating landscape tell half the story. The emptiness and scale of Montana became a visual metaphor for how veterans feel disconnected from society.
Herbert’s concept of “desert power” – where harsh environments create the strongest people – shaped how I approach subjects like the veterans in my documentary. I focus my camera on moments where people transform through struggle, just like Paul Atreides. The most powerful footage I captured wasn’t interviews, but quiet moments where you see someone choosing to keep fighting.
The spice addiction metaphor hit differently when I was documenting oil dependency for another project. Herbert taught me that the most compelling stories happen when people realize they’re trapped in systems bigger than themselves, then choose to break free anyway.
Gary Otte, Owner, A Castle on a Hill Productions
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Oz Journey Mirrors Therapy’s Path to Self-Discovery
As a trauma therapist working with teens and families, *The Wizard of Oz* fundamentally shaped how I view the healing journey. Dorothy’s quest isn’t really about finding external solutions – it’s about finding she already had the power within herself all along.
This directly mirrors what I see in therapy sessions every day. Clients come seeking an external “wizard” to fix their problems, but real change happens when they realize their own inner strength. I’ve structured my entire practice around this – helping people integrate different parts of themselves (like Dorothy’s companions representing wisdom, heart, and courage) rather than trying to eliminate their struggles.
The story taught me that what we often label as “wicked” or problematic usually stems from deeper pain and misunderstanding. In my work with families, I’ve found that the “difficult” teenager or the “impossible” parent often just needs someone to see their true story beneath the surface behavior.
Most importantly, the book showed me that home isn’t a place you return to unchanged – Dorothy comes back with completely new perspective. My clients don’t go back to who they were before trauma; they become more integrated, authentic versions of themselves who can appreciate their relationships and belonging in entirely new ways.
Erinn Everhart, Owner, Every Heart Dreams Counseling
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Le Guin Novel Revolutionizes Marketing Research Methods
As someone who’s built multiple businesses from the ground up, *The Left Hand of Darkness* by Ursula K. Le Guin completely transformed how I approach marketing strategy and audience understanding.
The novel’s core concept – that you can’t truly understand someone until you’ve walked in their world – became my foundation for client research. When I worked as a grant writer for addiction recovery nonprofits, I realized I was writing like a marketer instead of someone who understood their daily struggles. Le Guin’s approach to seeing through different perspectives made me completely restructure how I gather audience insights.
Now at King Digital, I spend weeks in my clients’ actual environments before writing a single ad. For our cleaning franchise clients, I literally went out on jobs to understand what homeowners worry about when letting strangers into their homes. This led to our highest-converting PPC campaigns because the messaging addressed real fears – not assumed ones.
The book’s theme about assumptions blocking true connection directly shaped our “no contracts” policy. Most agencies trap clients because they assume distrust is normal, but Le Guin taught me that genuine understanding creates natural loyalty. Our retention rate hit 89% once I stopped trying to control relationships and started focusing on truly seeing what each business needed.
Bernadette King, CEO, King Digital Pros
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Tolkien’s Fellowship Model Drives Affiliate Marketing Success
The influence of “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien on my marketing approach stems from its themes of collaboration and community. Just as the Fellowship unites diverse individuals to achieve a common goal, successful affiliate marketing relies on collaboration among affiliates, merchants, and consumers. This synergy, along with strategic thinking to tackle challenges, underpins effective marketing strategies in my role as a Director of Marketing in an affiliate network.
Michael Kazula, Director of Marketing, Olavivo
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Hobbit Adventure Principles Fuel Business Innovation
J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” inspires creativity and imagination through Bilbo Baggins’ journey, emphasizing exploration, collaboration, and adaptability. These principles are applicable in business, where stepping outside one’s comfort zone and taking calculated risks can drive innovation and growth. Engaging new market segments or launching diverse products illustrates how an adventurous spirit can lead to success.
Mohammed Kamal, Business Development Manager, Olavivo
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Potter Universe Expands Creative Possibility Boundaries
Harry Potter has probably influenced my imagination more than anything else. What always blows my mind is how one person created such a complex, fully formed world from scratch. The level of detail, history, characters, and magic system all came from a single imagination, and that’s just crazy to think about. It made me realize that creativity has no limits, and that building something meaningful starts with believing in your own ideas, even the weird or whimsical ones.
What made it even more magical was growing up while the movies were being released in real time, before all the books had even come out. Watching it all unfold, guessing what would happen next, lining up for premieres, waiting for each book release was such a unique experience. It felt like we were part of something bigger, and that feeling definitely shaped how I view storytelling and creative expression today.
Piotr Zabula, CEO, Cropink.com
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Heist Novel Teaches Flexible Business Leadership
Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora is the fantasy novel that has had the biggest impact on how I see the world and how I create things. At first glance, it’s a fast-paced robbery thriller set in a metropolis with a lot of detail, but it’s really about being flexible, thinking ahead, and creating loyalty in unanticipated situations; all of which are things that happen when you operate and grow a business.
What really got my attention was how Locke and his friends saw tactics as an art form. It takes a lot of trust for them to make the impossible happen. They change plans when things don’t go as planned. That way of thinking has changed how I lead and figure out what to do. You need more than just a good plan. You also need the right people, the flexibility to change direction, and the sense of what the opportunities are in the chaos.
It also made me think outside the box more. You make rules, break some of them, and find ways to surprise people when you’re building a business. I’m a better and more flexible because I think that way.
Gianluca Ferruggia, General Manager, DesignRush
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Rothfuss Novel Elevates Creativity Through Detail
*The Name of the Wind* by Patrick Rothfuss hands down. The way Rothfuss builds a world that feels rich, lived-in, and full of layered storytelling made me rethink how to approach creativity — it’s all about depth and details. Plus, the idea that knowledge, music, and storytelling are as powerful as magic really stuck with me. It’s a reminder that creativity isn’t just fluff — it’s a craft, and when done right, it’s transformative.
Justin Belmont, Founder & CEO, Prose
About ‘What Experts Read’
In our unique series, ‘What Experts Read,’ discover the literary inspirations and must-reads of thought leaders and industry experts. Each article highlights the books that have impacted the viewpoints, tactics, and success of successful entrepreneurs and seasoned leaders in their respective areas.
Discover a wide range of sectors, including technology, finance, healthcare, and more, as professionals share their best book suggestions and talk about the significant influence these reads have had on their careers. Discover priceless information, expand your horizons, and gain insightful knowledge from experts at the forefront of their fields.
‘What Experts Read’ is an insightful look at the relationship between knowledge, experience, and the written word, and it may be of interest to anybody looking for motivation, strategic advice, or just to learn more about the reading preferences of prominent industry figures. Join us for this insightful tour of the most important leaders’ bookshelves of today.
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