 I have 5 brand pillars that define my
leadership philosophies & best practices,
"turning financial complexity into clarity and action."
My 5 Pillars are:
🟢 Precision in Strategy and Finance 🟢
 🟢 Integrity in Leadership 🟢
🟢 Vision in Action 🟢
🟢 Service with Purpose 🟢Â
🟢Collaboration with Impact 🟢Â
Each book I have selected below reflects these pillars and the values that have most influenced how I think, lead, and serve. I hope they serve you as much as they have served my CFO journey, and my life journey as well.
PILLAR # 1
Precision in Strategy and Finance
Turning financial complexity into clarity. I believe that precision in thought, metrics, and execution transforms strategy into measurable results.
Why these books support this pillar:
These books reveal how disciplined systems thinking and focused execution separate resilient organizations from reactive ones.
Gorilla in the Cockpit
Vip Vyas & Geoff Berridge
A sharp critique of corporate overreliance on spreadsheets and models, urging leaders to reintroduce judgment, culture, and context into strategic decision-making.
My Takeaways:
- Beware the illusion of certainty:Â data is not destiny.
- Culture is a control system that numbers can’t measure.
- Precision requires curiosity and context, not just calculation.
- Best Quote: “The map is not the territory; the spreadsheet is not the strategy.”
- Financial clarity starts with strategic empathy:Â seeing the story behind the data.Â
Scale at Speed
(How to Triple the Size of Your Business and Build a Superstar Team)
Felix Velarde
A fast-moving manual for scaling organizations by establishing operational rhythm, accountability, and clarity. Proving that speed is the product of focus. This book is a playbook about turning a dream of doubling your revenue or EBITDA in 3 years (2Y3X).
My Takeaways:
- Clarity creates velocity. Everyone aligned. Everyone is accountable.
- Strategy becomes action when systems enable consistency.
- Empower teams with ownership, not oversight.
- Quote: “Speed is a function of clarity—when everyone knows what matters, progress accelerates.”
- Discipline in process equals freedom in innovation.Â
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Greg McKeown
This book teaches that success isn’t about doing more, but about doing less, better. A guide to filtering out the trivial and pursuing what truly matters.
My Takeaways:
- Focus is the new productivity.
- Saying “no” is a strategic act of leadership.
- Trade-offs define strategy.
- Best Quote: “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.”
- Clarity of purpose outperforms quantity of effort.
PILLAR # 2
Integrity in Leadership
Integrity is the discipline of alignment—between words, actions, and purpose.
Why I say these books support this pillar:
These books explore the interplay between conviction and reflection—showing that true leadership stems from moral courage, awareness, and disciplined thought.
A Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership
Stephen Sample
President of my alma mater, USC, Stephen Sample’s playbook for thinking gray, listening gray, and leading with deliberate reflection. A reminder that integrity thrives on curiosity and patience.
My Takeaways:
- Think gray. Suspend judgment to see nuance.
- Lead from principle, not popularity.
- Listen longer than feels comfortable; wisdom requires time.
- Best Quote: “The best leaders are not the quickest to decide; they are the quickest to learn.”
- Reflection before reaction builds credibility.
Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand
I had to include at least one novel. This one’s a philosophical epic celebrating creative integrity, productive excellence, and individual responsibility: the moral foundation of progress. Peter Diamandis, founder and chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, calls it a book that helps him “get in the mindset of not letting anything stand in my way.”
My Takeaways:
- Integrity is non-negotiable.
- Agency is moral courage. Own your vision and its consequences.
- Creative work is an ethical act.
- Best Quote: “Integrity is the recognition of the fact that you cannot fake reality.”
- Vision requires defiance in service of truth, not ego.
Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
Sam Harris
Wait! Can a book about improving consciousness be applied to leadership? This book is a rational exploration of mindfulness and consciousness, showing how self-awareness creates authenticity, compassion, and moral steadiness in leadership. This book answers the question, “Why meditation?” for a guy like me.
My Takeaways:
- Integrity begins with awareness.
- Presence is the foundation of authenticity.
- Freedom arises from understanding one’s own mind.
- Best Quote: “A mind at the mercy of its thoughts is an unfree mind.”
- Self-mastery is the root of ethical leadership.
PILLAR # 3
Vision in Action
Vision matters only when it moves—when bold ideas are executed with creativity and discipline.
Why these books support this pillar:
These titles reflect a builder’s mindset—where innovation, experimentation, and courage turn vision into tangible progress.
The Startup of You
(Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career)
Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha
A framework for living and leading like an entrepreneur—always learning, networking, iterating, and adapting.
My Takeaways:
- Stay in permanent beta.
- Adaptation beats prediction.
- ABZ Planning: Plan A, Pivot B, Safety Net Z.
- Quote: “All humans are entrepreneurs—not because they should start companies, but because the will to create is encoded in us.”
- Vision is a living prototype—refine relentlessly.
Alchemy
(The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life)
Ayn Rand
A witty masterclass on creativity and behavioral economics—proving that sometimes, the most “irrational” ideas unlock the greatest breakthroughs.
My Takeaways:
- Magic beats math in human decision-making.
- Test the non-obvious; breakthrough often looks illogical.
- Perception is value.
- Best Quote: “The problem with logic is it kills off magic.”
- Vision requires bold playfulness.
PILLAR # 4
Collaboration with Impact
Partnership is power. Great outcomes come from teams built on trust, growth, and shared purpose.
Why these books support this pillar:
These two books show how talent, mindset, and culture multiply success — by turning individual strengths into collective excellence.
Talent
(How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World)
Tyler Cowen & Daniel Gross
A research-backed guide to spotting and developing exceptional talent—focusing on curiosity, creativity, and energy as the true markers of potential.
My Takeaways:
- Curiosity > credentials.
- Energy > experience.
- Exceptional people break molds. Hire for edge, not fit.
- Best Quote: “Talent is the ultimate resource—the lever that moves everything else.”
- Collaboration begins by recognizing genius in unexpected places.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Carol S. Dweck
Dweck’s groundbreaking work on growth mindset shows that abilities can be developed through effort, feedback, and resilience — the DNA of collaborative culture.
My Takeaways:
- You can learn anything with effort and feedback.
- Failure = data, not defeat.
- Praise effort, not talent.
- Best Quote: “Becoming is better than being.”
- Teams thrive where leaders create psychological safety.
PILLAR # 5
Service with Purpose
Leadership is service to people, organizations, and the communities they touch.
Why these books support this pillar:
These books connect excellence with empathy—demonstrating that purpose-driven leadership fuels both profit and fulfillment.
Purpose and Profit:
(How Business Can Lift Up the World)
George Serafeim
A data-rich argument that purpose and profitability reinforce each other—showing how companies that act responsibly outperform those that don’t.
My Takeaways:
- Purpose scales performance.
- Long-term value > short-term gains.
- Stakeholder trust is strategic capital.
- Quote: “Purposeful companies outperform because they inspire, innovate, and invest differently.”
- Doing well and doing good are not opposing goals.
Arete: Activate Your Heroic Potential
 Brian Johnson
A synthesis of ancient philosophy and modern psychology urging leaders to close the gap between who they are and who they’re capable of being.
My Takeaways:
- Virtue = excellence in action.
- Discipline is freedom.
- Small habits, heroic results.
- Best Quote: “Arete is about being your best self—moment to moment to moment.”
- Service is the natural expression of mastery.
Peter A. Krusic, CPA, PMP, MBA
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 949-378-0429
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/peterkrusic
