Spark - by Angie Morgan & Courtney Lynch & Sean Lynch (Paperback)

About the Book

From three leadership experts with military backgrounds, a blueprint for discovering "sparks" within the corporate ranks

Book Synopsis

From the team behind the corporate leadership consulting firm Lead Star--three leadership experts with military backgrounds--comes the New York Times bestseller Spark, "a myth-destroying book that will make you rethink both the theory and practice of leadership" (Daniel H. Pink).

Leadership is not about job titles--it's about action and behavior. "Sparks" are the doers, thinkers, innovators, and key influencers who are catalysts for personal and organizational change. But these extraordinary individuals aren't defined by the place they hold on an organizational chart--they are defined by their actions, commitment, and will.

Leadership experts Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch, and Sean Lynch show how you can become a Spark by cultivating seven key leadership behaviors. Grounded in the latest research on leadership development, this fresh, accessible road map is packed with real-world stories from inside companies like Facebook, Google, and Boston Scientific, and from the authors' own high-stakes, challenging experiences serving in the US Armed Forces.

With Spark as a blueprint, anyone can become a catalyst for change, and any organization can identify and develop Sparks.

Featuring a Foreword by Frederick W. Smith, founder, chairman and CEO of FedEx

Review Quotes

"SPARK is a myth-destroying book that will make you rethink both the theory and practice of leadership. In a straightforward and direct way, the authors show that leading is a choice, that values and actions must be in sync, and that being of service is the ultimate touchstone of genuine leadership. Whatever your job title or circle of influence, this book can help you light your own spark." --Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author of DRIVE and TO SELL IS HUMAN "If you truly want to become a Spark in your organization and in your life, I urge you to read this book now." --Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski - Head Coach, Duke University Men's Basketball "It's remarkable how these three can-do individuals have pooled their hard-earned management insights into a winning book that can quickly elevate anyone in business to greater heights." --Alison Levine, international leadership expert and bestselling author of ON THE EDGE "Winning performance is dependent on sparks, those rare individuals within your organization who get things done and then some. This book will teach you how to become a spark...and how to lead them too." --David Burkus, author of UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT and Host of Radio Free Leader podcast "In SPARK, the authors give a clear roadmap for how anyone, at any organizational level, can develop their leadership skills. The authors are not only great leadership thinkers, but they have all led people in challenging circumstances--a huge advantage in guiding the rest of us. Trust them to take you to a new level." --Thomas A. Kolditz, Brigadier General, US Army (ret) and Director of the Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University "The skills I learned as a Marine 50 years ago have been the foundation of my leadership approach throughout my career. SPARK has captured those critical concepts, and presents them in an organized, effective way that makes it easy to bring them to life in today's challenging business environment. Having worked first hand with Angie, Courtney, and Sean in the past, it is no surprised that they have captured the essence of effective leadership in SPARK." --Dave Gagnon, CEO, Cafe Rio Mexican Grill "In these times of change, leadership in organizations, large and small, seek direction and insight into how to best embrace organizational transformation and growth. With uncommon clarity, Spark lays out a formula for the kind of leadership that can positively transform and empower any organization - founded on ethical values of character and credibility; and by making the point that leadership is not about authority or title, but about influencing outcomes and inspiring others." --Michael Steinberg, MD, Executive Vice President, UCLA Health "This powerful book highlights a critical and frequently overlooked truth: Everyone has the potential to be a leader, and organizations reach their full potential only when they develop all of their women and men with that goal in mind. The authors offer plentiful, practical advice, and leaders at every level will learn from their wisdom." --Vice Admiral John R. Ryan, USN (Ret.) President and CEO, Center for Creative Leadership "Need help developing your vision for what you want next, and what comes after that? SPARK is your mind-opening guide to figuring out what you've truly always wanted to do and making it happen, and, even better, then teaching others how to do the same, no matter where you are on the org chart!" --Marshall Goldsmith, bestselling author of TRIGGERS. "Authors Morgan, Lynch and Lynch offer a compelling step-by-step analysis of the fundamental skills that are needed to become a spark. The authors' recommendations for behavioral change, drawn from their early years in the military and then a decade training corporate America, are well researched and documented, and also just have a common sense appeal--comfort with discomfort, for example. Bottom line? We are better employees, better leaders, and more satisfied human beings when we truly understand how to spark others --and ourselves." --Claire Shipman, bestselling author of THE CONFIDENCE CODE and WOMENOMICS "In Spark Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch, and Sean Lynch hit all the right notes at exactly the right time. Their central themes of character, credibility, accountability, intent, service, confidence and consistency are exactly what every leader needs to be reading and practicing now. The truth is that credibility is the foundation of leadership, and without it people just won't willingly follow someone who aspires to lead. Spark guides you through the essential steps that will enable you to earn and sustain that credibility. The authors' extensive leadership experiences under very challenging conditions infuse Spark with a strong sense of reality. This is a very honest and candid book--one you can believe in, because when you apply the lessons in it, you know that it can be done with authenticity and a sense of service to others. All leaders will benefit from reading and applying Spark. I highly recommend it." --Jim Kouzes, co-author of the bestselling THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE and the Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

About the Author

The authors run Lead Star, a consulting firm focusing on corporate leadership. COURTNEY LYNCH has a law degree from the William and Mary Law School, and ANGIE MORGAN has an MBA from the University of Michigan. Both are former Marines. SEAN LYNCH is a Yale alumnus and former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot.