The Success Complex

**Business Book Awards 2025 Finalist**

What does ‘Success’ mean to you?

Blending history, behavioural science and a rich tapestry of interviews, Irish author Adrian Kelly explores this age-old question in a new light. Once a struggling student who languished at the bottom of his class, Adrian knows first-hand the sting of failure.

Now, three decades later, he brings his experience as a solicitor, entrepreneur and sports coach to challenge common misconceptions about the core skills vital to overcoming challenge, with examples from Napoleon to the movie and sports stars of today. He examines how even the brightest and best can lose their way when it comes to the application of those skills. Finally, in a universe of ever-increasing opportunities, this is an invitation to consider what the most important things to accomplish in your life really are – they might not be what you think.

Provocative and practical, The Success Complex creates a template for a new understanding of the pursuit of success that truly fulfils.

Adrian Kelly: ‘A pursuit, not just of sustained success, but of a success that sustains you.’