A profound reimagining of what it means to lead with both effectiveness and humanity."

— Marshall Goldsmith, #1 Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author

AVAILABLE OCTOBER 28, 2025

Being Smart is Stupid

Why Embracing the Wisdom of Your Buddha Nature is the Secret to Great Leadership

BY TRICIA BROUK

Transform Your Leadership Through:

In a world obsessed with being the smartest person in the room, countless leaders are burning out, alienating their teams, and building unsustainable organizations. From tech moguls who treat employees like disposable machine parts to executives who prioritize metrics over humanity, the cult of "smart" leadership is creating more suffering than success.

What if there was a better way? What if the secret to truly effective leadership wasn't about being smarter, but about being wiser?

The Wisdom-Based Alternative

Being Smart Is Stupid reveals the ancient wisdom that modern leaders desperately need. Drawing from Buddhist philosophy and real-world leadership examples, this groundbreaking book shows you how to access your Buddha nature—the innate wisdom that exists within every leader.

Through nine transformative principles, you'll learn to lead with stillness instead of reactivity, gratitude instead of entitlement, and wisdom instead of mere intelligence. This isn't about becoming a Buddhist—it's about becoming the kind of leader people actually want to follow.

The Problem with "Smart" Leadership

→ Getting Still:

Create space between stimulus and response to make wiser decisions

→ Embodying Gratitude:

Move beyond performative appreciation to genuine connection

→ Practicing Impermanence:

Free yourself from attachment to outcomes that cause suffering

→ Letting Go:

Release assumptions, imagined futures, and limiting beliefs

→ Discernment:

Navigate uncertainty with the wisdom of incomplete information

→ Liberating Yourself from Fear:

Use fear as information, not instruction

→ Becoming Aware of Your Awareness:

Observe your thoughts without being controlled by them

→ Recognizing Oneness:

Understand the interconnectedness that drives sustainable success

→ Befriending Suffering:

Transform obstacles into opportunities for growth and wisdom

About Tricia Brouk

Tricia Brouk is the Founder of three companies: Brouk Moves, an in-home personal training company that she started in 1993; The Big Talk, a professional development platform for speakers and thought-leaders that she started in 2017; and The Wise Leopard, a life-style brand for women of a certain age, while at the time of writing this book is currently developing a new product that will go to market in 2026. She has coached thousands of speakers including former Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman and New York City mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia. Her work with speakers is featured on Amazon Prime in the documentary Big Stages, and she has worked with actors including Kelly Reilly, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, and James Gandolfini. A lifelong student of Buddhism, she lives in New York City with her husband Joe Ricci and their fur baby Eva Moon. When she’s not coaching clients, writing, directing, or starting a new company, she’s in a cabana by the ocean with Joe being reminded of how much bigger than us it actually all is.

Real Leaders, Real Wisdom

This book isn't theoretical philosophy—it's practical wisdom in action. You'll discover how leaders like Microsoft's Satya Nadella transformed toxic cultures through collaborative wisdom, how PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi built loyalty through genuine gratitude, and how Buddhist practitioners in corporate boardrooms are creating more sustainable, humane, and ultimately more successful organizations.

Through intimate interviews with Buddhist leaders across industries—from television producers to prison chaplains—you'll see Buddha nature leadership in practice and learn how to apply these timeless principles in your own modern context.

Advance PRaise

"Tricia Brouk has done it again."

In Being Smart is Stupid, she masterfully dismantles the myth that raw intellect and relentless hustle are the keys to leadership success. This book is a revelation.

George Andriopoulos

CEO of Launchpad Five One Six, Co-Founder of SPEAK

“This book is brilliant. Truly Brilliant.”

Please read this book, and as she says, reading it is not enough. Take on the practices, use it as a resource and witness how much things change, especially with those around you.

Mike Shereck

Executive coach, EOS Implementer, author

“It’s inspiring and essential reading for right now.”

In [this book], renowned entrepreneur and public speaking coach Tricia Brouk offers a positive and practical alternative: letting go of the need to grasp for control, tapping our inner wisdom and embracing discernment to lead our team to new heights.

Elaine Pofeldt

Independent journalist and author of The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business

“This is for every leader who has ever sensed there must be a better way.”

In these pages, you’ll rediscover your ability to lead with your heart as well as your head, to see challenges as invitations for growth, and to trust that your deepest wisdom has been there all along, waiting for you to come home to it.

Andrew Bennett

Founder & President of Bennett Performance Group, Professor at American University, and 2x TEDx Presenter

“A reminder that personal growth is about paying attention.”

This book is a reminder that personal growth isn’t just about big breakthroughs but also about paying attention to how you pay attention, show up, and engage. I especially loved the chapter on being aware of your own awareness — it’s a simple yet powerful practice. Tricia’s voice is big, bold, and all her own — just like this book.

Mari Carmen Pizarro

Founder and CHRO

“This is a must-read to lead with clarity, grace, and humanity.”

This book is a beautiful invitation to embrace a compelling approach to leadership. It is a reminder that the most effective leadership doesn’t shout; it listens. It doesn’t seek control; it seeks understanding. Leading with Buddha nature is not a concept—it’s a practice, one that this book gently and powerfully brings to life.

Pamay Basse

Chief Learning and Culture Officer of Kraft-Heinz

“A powerful reminder that the most effective leadership begins not with control, but with stillness and self-awareness.”

[This book] challenges conventional models of power and instead offers a deeply human, spiritually grounded approach to leading.

Lisa Wheeler

Emmy-nominated Executive Producer and two-time New York Times Best Selling author

“Tricia Brouk has done a masterful job inviting us into the complexity and beauty of leadership.”

[This book] invites us to quiet the noise, return to our center, and lead from the still, wise place within.

Alexandra H. Solomon

PhD, adjunct professor at Northwestern University, bestselling author of Love Every Day, and host of the podcast, Reimagining Love

“Practical and profound.”

This insightful book beautifully presents practical Buddhist philosophy in accessible guidelines, enriching everyday life with clarity, compassion, and mindfulness.

Jerry Farnett

LCSW, CASAC Master Counselor

“Being Smart is Stupid is as wonderful as its title.”

By blending timeless Buddhist practices with contemporary leadership insights, Tricia Brouk offers a clear path to influencing others by discovering what is best and truest in ourselves.