Book Review: “Spark” by Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch, and Sean Lynch

Do you feel like a leader?

We all want to step up and take control of our careers and demonstrate our leadership abilities so we can continue to improve and advance. But if you’ve felt you’ve hit a wall or that your efforts just aren’t being recognized as you’d like them to be, “Spark” by Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch, and Sean Lynch is an excellent book to help you evaluate yourself and the specific areas you may be able to improve upon to truly stand out as a leader in your career and in life.

The book focuses on what makes a “Spark.” A Spark is a leader, at any level, that demonstrates specific leadership traits and qualities that inspire and influence others around them. The authors map out specific qualities that set these leaders apart: character, credibility, accountability, intent, service to others, confidence, and consistency. In each chapter, they dive into the best ways to identify pitfalls in each of these areas that you may be experiencing. All three authors come from military backgrounds which taught and ingrained these leadership skills, and they aim to share the lessons they learned through stories of their experiences. By breaking up chapters with their own personal stories and the simple details of each lesson, the authors have created an easy-to-read guide for up-and-coming leaders at all stages.

And leaders do operate from every level. Throughout the book the authors press upon the idea that you don’t have to be in a position of authority to lead. They make it clear in the very first chapter, “Confronting the Myths of Leadership,” that leaders are developed, not born. A Spark will, “be leading through influence, not through title, and that makes a big, big difference.” And leadership isn’t all about instincts, but flexibility, discipline, and growth – all skills which can be developed by anyone at any point in their career.

“Spark” is a perfect book for anyone looking to do a deep dive into their own strengths and weaknesses and perhaps even discover some new growth areas that may not be obvious at first. Anyone can be a Spark – it’s all about identifying those important qualities and continuing to work towards self-development.