I was drawn to Sparking Success as I work in a creative industry but - ironically - don't always have a lot of time to be truly creative. Adam Kingl makes some brilliant points about the importance of carving out time to be creative. Not thinking of that time as wasting it or 'not doing our jobs' - it's definitely a mind-shift and different way of thinking about things, and it was great for me to be reminded of that here.

This is a book I know I'll come back to and reference due to both its practical tasks and ways of framing things. A very interesting and thought-provoking read!

The odd effect of reading this book is that I learned more about stage improv and jazz than I did about business. Even cooking and how to make 'foam' (the invention combines glycerine with a juice). Depending on how many books on leadership, business and creativity you have read, you may get more from this book. Some time is spent following the back careers of several different people who now give break-the-mould business coaching. Few of them were hugely successful businessmen (they are all male) and some had tried many careers, sciences and companies. They now teach businesses how to be creative, because that worked best for them.

I thought there was too much reliance on citing Steve Jobs, who made tech gadgets, when other inventive producers could have been named. Like Anita Roddick of The Body Shop. I kept waiting for female names; actresses in 'Friends' were named but the people we followed were men writing the scripts. The author thanks his wife, at the end of the book; but everyone he tells us about is male, from a Disneyworld engineer to a cellist who took on running an orchestra.

Yes, firms need more creativity, and Google is a great example, also Pixar and some of the others discussed. Exercises are given in each chapter which can be simply arranged with a small team, or even alone. Being a one-person firm is harder as you need to do all the work, but the point of getting outdoors to have walking meetings or just free up the brain for creative space, works well for me. Metaphors such as yanking on a door that won't open, when there are other doors nearby, are useful, and can remain with the reader when all the details of coaching have blurred into one big team event. More women next time please. And some drawings and graphs would be useful.

I read an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

‘Sparking Success’ is a much-needed breath of fresh air in an increasingly digitally-minded, automated world of work. Written in an engaging, friendly style, the book shows how, far from being distracting, insights from arts and culture can in fact be beneficial in business settings and lead to greater efficiencies and greater individual fulfilment. I particularly liked the ‘one thing to do in the morning’ prompts at the chapter endings, giving concrete and practical advice on approaches anyone who finds themselves stuck in a rut can try, regardless of their job profile or specific situation. Whereas other self-help books and popular psychology books date very fast, this is one that should remain on the shelves, ready to dip into whenever work gets a little stale! Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC I was gifted in exchange for providing this review.

Love this intersection between business and creativity. A great look at infusion art into the traditional business model. I particularly appreciated the structure of the chapters and the ‘One thing you can do on Monday morning’ as well as the detailed endnotes.

Having worked in leadership consultancy, I appreciate what's being suggested in this book; creativity is important, we are all capable of being creative, given space and support within an organisation, each person can and will thrive on an individual level, but also help the organisation to thrive. So the philosophy of the book certainly gelled with my own.
Specifically, I liked the structure - using the stories of creative, successful people to illustrate particular points was nice. I also liked the fact that, at the end of each chapter there was a section called "One thing you can do on Monday morning". This meant that you could very clearly see specific changes that could develop big ideological shifts. The optimist in me loves this.
The realist was worried and frustrated in equal measure. Many of the suggestions are genuinely good, provided they are handled sensitively and managed appropriately. Get them wrong and you slam a door shut, making developing staff even harder.
I was frustrated by the western-european focus of the creativity and history. Surely we're beyond this in the 21st century!
The writing style was generally chatty and friendly with the informality of a conversation, and yet sentences like the following appeared every-so-often.
"The organization’s frames are the preponderance of its community’s individual perceptions." I'm not even sure I know what this sentence means!
Overall a good book for those who support leaders or for leaders who currently have some skills in developing their teams. Would I recommend this to a leader who had no experience? Maybe. But to be read with caution and delivered with others who have expert.

Sparking Success by Adam Kingl is a fascinating and insightful book that explores the factors that contribute to success in the modern workplace. Kingl draws on his extensive experience as a management consultant and educator to provide practical advice on how individuals and organizations can thrive in today's fast-paced and constantly changing business environment.

The book is divided into three sections, each of which explores a different aspect of success: individual success, team success, and organizational success. Kingl's writing is engaging and accessible, and he does an excellent job of breaking down complex concepts into clear and actionable advice.

One of the strengths of the book is the way Kingl emphasizes the importance of purpose and meaning in the workplace. He argues that employees are more likely to be engaged and motivated when they feel that their work has a larger purpose and contributes to a meaningful goal. He also emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships and fostering a culture of trust and collaboration within teams and organizations.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book showcases how to "marry" arts and business in terms of creative application. There are multiple advice throughout the book and stories about arts and creativity within the field. Business can use the ideas from arts how how to become more creative, generate new approaches and ideas, present thoughts new and previously unknown way. The arts and culture way seems to be disconnected from business at the beginning however the idea of a close connection between them both is definitely seem on the pages of this book. One of the interesting practical parts are "first thing to do I the morning" that helps with exercises and practices to improve creativity.