Want to Read Rate this book 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change by Beth Comstock (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 · ![[./resources/book-imagine-it-forward-beth-comstock-tahl-raz.resources/embedded.svg]] Rating details · 317 ratings · 42 reviews From one of today’s foremost innovation leaders, an inspiring and practical guide to mastering change in the face of uncertainty.The world will never be slower than it is right now, says Beth Comstock, the former Vice Chair and head of marketing and innovation at GE. But confronting relentless change is hard. Companies get disrupted as challengers steal away customers; employees have to move ahead without knowing the answers. To thrive in today’s world, every one of us has to make change part of our job.In Imagine It Forward, Comstock, in a candid and deeply personal narrative, shares lessons from a thirty year career as the change-maker in chief, navigating the space between the established and the unproven. As the woman who initiated GE’s digital and clean-energy transformations, and its FastWorks methodology, she challenged a global organization to not wait for perfection but to spot trends, take smart risks and test new ideas more often. She shows how each one of us can—in fact, must – become a “change maker.”“Ideas are rarely the problem,” writes Comstock. “What holds all of us back, really—is fear. It’s the attachment to the old, to ‘What We Know.’”Change is messy and fraught with tension, uncertainty and failure. Being “change ready” calls for the courage to defy convention, the resilience to overcome doubts, and the savvy to know when to go around corporate gatekeepers to reinvent what is possible.Among the practical takeaways Comstock offers:• The power of discovery—bringing the outside into your organization. It’is about turning the world into a classroom.• Find a spark—provocateurs who challenge established ways of thinking can be a powerful catalyst for change.• Give yourself permission—every change maker must learn to give herself permission to push outside expectations and boundaries.Confronting today’s accelerating change requires an extraordinary degree of problem-solving, collaboration, and forward-thinking leadership to unlock every person’s potential. Imagine It Forward masterfully points the way. (less) Get A Copy Amazon Online Stores ▾ Book Links ▾ Hardcover, 416 pages Published September 18th 2018 by Currency ISBN 0451498291 (ISBN13: 9780451498298) . Other Editions (7) All Editions | Add a New Edition | Combine …Less Detail edit details Friend Reviews Recommend This Book None of your friends have reviewed this book yet. . Reader Q&A Ask the Goodreads community a question about Imagine It Forward ![[./resources/book-imagine-it-forward-beth-comstock-tahl-raz.resources/30721486.ux100_cr00100100.jpg]] Be the first to ask a question about Imagine It Forward . Lists with This Book New ways of working 41 books — 1 voter More lists with this book… . Community Reviews Showing 1-30 really liked it 4.00 · ![[./resources/book-imagine-it-forward-beth-comstock-tahl-raz.resources/embedded.1.svg]] Rating details · 317 ratings · 42 reviews ![[./resources/book-imagine-it-forward-beth-comstock-tahl-raz.resources/loading-45f04d682f1e9151cf1e6fb18a1bde21.gif]] More filters | Sort order . Aug 23, 2018 Linda rated it it was amazing This reads like a whole new genre—a new kind of business book for a new era in big business.Candid, personal, and bombast-free, “Imagine it Forward” is a change-agent’s true story from the inner sanctums of a few of the world’s biggest pre-digital companies. And whether or not they admit it, all companies “of a certain age” are writhing as they sort out how to compete in this transformational era.For a decade, Reality TV and social media have been dissolving the polished exteriors that hid the truths inside so many of our institutions, including our families. In “Imagine it Forward,” Beth (and you’ll want to call her Beth too) brings that new, sometimes uncomfortable, transparency to the inner workings of the Fortune 100 C-Suite.The truth needed to be personal, because what is change in a 100-year-old company but individual intra-preneurs battling legions of executives in cultures built for yesterday? And these days, it’s a battle to the death. (See rest of business books) The bureaucrats have the incumbent’s advantages— wallet, Street, inertia, but all the entrepreneurs have is each other and The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. And sometimes the CEO’s support. (The value of which is greatly overestimated. As Martin Sorrell remarked; “You think I say something and my people do it?”)If the change agents are gifted, like Beth, they have gobs of vision and grit and have grown a very thick skin. But that still doesn’t guarantee success. Business has faced challenging eras before—but not the likes of this one. Exponential accelerators in tech and globalization are rapidly converging. The Fortune 100 old-growth forest is being culled quarterly. As are the good jobs.“Change Agents,” as Beth characterizes her people, are the only hope. They take constant arrows, front and back, and like Beth, have probably closed their doors and cried. For all those women and men struggling for change— often in isolation without role models, sufficient support or recognition— this book is a gold mine of advice and a triple espresso of encouragement. Read it and please, carry on!“Imagine it Forward” is deceiving because it’s a good, enjoyable read, but it’s also the most powerful, instructive user’s manual on Change Management I’ve read–specifically because it’s so authentic. Changing established cultures is by necessity personal and conflict-ridden and it’s time to admit out loud.Of course change agents should read this book— but really, so should the rest of the folks in legacy companies who wittingly or unwittingly create the punishing headwinds that make adapting too hard. Everyone needs to be a change agent or change advocate if our companies are going to thrive or even survive.I hope this book encourages other practitioners to come forward with candid stories and advice. I hope journalists dig under the PR to the real challenges in these companies, and I hope everyone starts to appreciate the importance and difficulty, particularly around culture, that’s been silently holding back all the talent and imagination locked in many fine organizations.It seems like everybody in New York, including me, knows Beth. She is active in social media, conferences, and has a seemingly limitless capacity to help almost everyone who asks her. Still, I was unaware of so many of her accomplishments and her personal challenges. I’m especially grateful for her rare confidence and her generosity. She let people see behind the curtain and acquire a bit more of their own confidence and thick skin—knowing that even the biggest and the best are also human.(less) flag 7 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review Aug 02, 2018 Brian rated it liked it Shelves: business-technology Imagine it Forward by Beth Comstock tracks her rise through the ranks of NBC and General Electric (GE) to focus on innovation and how to bring entrepreneurship to the epitome of corporate drudger and bureaucracy. She focuses on the traits and tactics necessary to bring about innovation and how to have an entrepreneurs spirit within a big organization. GE faced a tremendous challenge after the departure of Jack Welch and the subsequent demise of GE Capital that had fueled the growth of GE making Jack Welch one of the most successful CEO’s in the history of corporate America. The new GE had to innovate and find new business that it had never dreamed of entering before unlocking the innovation that had started the company under Edison and blossomed throughout its 140 year history. It had to overcome a corporate ethos of “checking the checkers” and fiefdoms carved out of CEO’s within business units that only could see the P&L of their area. Comstock covers the numerous entrepreneurial initiatives including some outside ventures like Hulu in her book and looks at what it takes to drive change and imagine a business in a future state. Her career which would culminate with being vice chair of GE was about brining the innovative spark to GE that would hep it grown and get ahead of the problems that an industrial giant would face in a world focused on software and consume businesses. Ultimately the book does read more as a memoir then a corporate strategy book but there are great lessons to be gleamed here and plenty of information about GE that often gets forgotten after the Jack Welch era. A very enjoyable read with the right mix of personal stories coupled with lessons learned and an outline of key takeaways helpful to those trying to drive change in large organizations or those starting out on their own about the pitfalls of growing to fast. (less) flag 4 likes · Like · comment · see review Sep 28, 2018 Rachel rated it it was amazing This is the best book on leadership and innovation that I’ve ever read. Beth Comstock is a badass. flag 4 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review Nov 14, 2018 Erica Eastman rated it liked it This is a very thick book that I felt could’ve been edited down considerably to the more relevant and useful information. Much of the book is memoir and describes many colleagues who Beth assesses in great detail, which I found boring and I frankly don’t care who she did or didn’t like working with and her assessment of their personality and business acumen. Towards the end she got more focused on what the book’s title says it will deliver, and I found it more readable and moving along better. Overall, I came away with some good quotes but I think the content should’ve been edited better to be more focused to make a stronger and more clear impact in terms of understanding change and how to manage it. If you are looking for more of a memoir you will probably enjoy this but I was expecting more of a business toolkit and overall found it too long and lacking in the real insights I was after. (less) flag 2 likes · Like · comment · see review Jul 02, 2019 Chantal rated it it was amazing Comstock has done everyone a service by describing how she changed the trajectory of her career. Despite being a self-described “introvert”, Comstock led innovative change at NBC and GE.If you’re looking to boost your career or change your work environment, this book is worth a read.Few professionals are able to tackle a subject like this with honesty and objectivity. Comstock is one of the few who does it effectively. She’s honest about herself: she learned she comes across as blunt.Yet, she also learned how to use “permission slips” that allowed her to make positive steps forward and “sparks” that encourage discovery in the workplace.After being promoted to chief marketing officer at GE, she created program called “Imagination Breakthroughs.” The program encouraged discovery and new revenue generating projects.She also started “Ecomagination” which involved starting new green energy initiatives that lifted GE’s brand value.Comstock celebrates these successes but she also doesn’t shy away from describing failures which is to her credit.Promoted to a new position at GE, Comstock continued to find new ways to tell GE’s story despite some unfortunate turn-of-events–the stock market crash of 2008 and some other mishaps.She brings many innovative people on board at GE–Ben Kaufman, CEO of Quirky.com–in order to change the status quo. Her changes resulted in a much more welcoming and innovative corporate culture.Sprinkled throughout the text are quotations and challenges that will help readers create change in their own lives. She also uses text boxes to elaborate more fully on key terms e.g. “Emergence.” (less) flag 1 like · Like · comment · see review Jan 07, 2019 Kunal Gupta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition The Bible for Change MakersBeth’s comstock’s story is mine in making. Albiet the impact may be a fraction of what she’s accomplished in those 26yrs at GE.She’s brought out well the GE’s magnificent and larger than life culture .It’s amazing on how Beth recounts people, experiences, interactions with them and her inner emotions so profoundly. It’s difficult to imagine someone being able to do that for a 26 long years! (I don’t even remember my last quarter!).She’s given summaries and mantra’s after each story. That makes the self-help even better. It would have been even better if there was a way to recall the story behind those mantra’s/learnings quickly . so one could share them as anecdotes when sharing with others.But doesn’t looks like Beth Comstock era is over. It feels she will come back with more power bringing more change.Honest, vulnerable, hungry for change defines Beth to me.Recommended this book to everyone who wants motivation to their change making missions. (less) flag 1 like · Like · comment · see review Jan 11, 2019 Nicolette rated it really liked it I started taking notes as I took the winding road of Beth’s journey and career, because frankly she said a lot of things that resonated with me, as a younger woman starting out with a crash course in difficult, old, and tired corporate structures. To someone my age, they’re unfamiliar and baffling and in the kindest sense, frustrating. Beth has a great drive to tear it down, but she developed that over time. Creativity and managing the fickle nature of consumers is a job that needs some deft skill.Some musings:Page 16 - she discusses giving yourself permission. Wow, is this a difficult thing to channel and some thing that takes work to do, and it’s tied in with a certain mettle and assertiveness that needs to be cultivated for a lot of people.Page 19 - discusses how we all get in our own heads about meeting new people, being vulnerable, and networking.page 49 - “As the essayist John Gardner once wrote, ’ All too often, on the long road up, youngleaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.’“page 100 - cool information about the 2007 GE Aisys Anesthesia Machine. Ties in personally to me as someone in the airline industry and the discussion of solving multiple issues as a system.Page 101 - STAR system: nurturing ideas. Shelter it, Tell it, Ask yourself, Repeat.It’s a bit more of a memoir than a pure non-fiction spiel, but it’s all relevant and interesting to me. I found it neat that Steve Jobs made an “appearance” in this book as Beth Comstock was mentioned in the context of while reading a book about him. Beth does things that I would be terrified to do in my own job even in a position of leadership. There are some big stakes and responsibilities highlighted throughout her career in some high-level positions. She discussed a lot about the tough dynamics and did touch a little on what that did to her family, which I may have liked to hear about a little more because women deal with the judgment and consequences of being career-oriented more, in my view, than men at the same achieving level. I think there’s so much to gain by reading this, and to take your time doing so. (less) flag Like · comment · see review Oct 25, 2018 Jessica rated it really liked it I will say that I received a galley copy, so there may be things that were changed with the publication of the book in mass production.I really enjoyed Beth’s journey through corporate America–what she was thinking as she fought for change in a large machine-like company, knowing when to stand down, and looking back on her mistakes with clarity and compassion. I think that the writing could have had a stronger point of view–in my copy, it wasn’t clear if this was an advice book or memoir, or …more flag Like · comment · see review Jan 11, 2019 Jeff Bell rated it it was amazing Shelves: energy, science-and-technology, books-i-want-my-kids-to-read, development, non-fiction, business, health This inspiring, informative, and well organized work challenges the reader to imagine it forward while completely adapting (following open-minded discovery) leveraging the (ever changing) environment / culture / community you are in.It’s a roadmap to creating an innovative mindset within well established organizations or communities. Beth Comstock was able to adapt to Multiple GE departments; Silicon Valley rules (her discovery on the real groupthink happening was insightful); entirely differen …more flag Like · comment · see review Jun 30, 2019 Kym Hamer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition Shelves: business-educational, bookshelved, favorites What a great read.I saw Beth Comstock speak in London last year - I’d never heard of her but she impressed me with her conviction and her pragmatism about the power of “imagining it forward” to create our future. Finally I got around to the book and I was not disappointed. I have tabbed so many pages for later reference. Some of them are food for thought while other are great tools and techniques that I can apply to power both my own and my clients’ businesses forward. An absolute keeper - one …more flag Like · comment · see review Nov 14, 2018 BMR, LCSW rated it liked it I got this book from the publisher, for helping to pick out the title.This was an engaging book, but I thought Beth missed some opportunities to call out the mansplaining she was subjected to during her career w/GE and NBC. Also, more than once, she had to bring in a man from the outside as a consultant to have the men in upper level mgmt listen to her ideas and plans. Even when she was their peer or their boss!Anyway, this is good for anyone who has a corporate job in an old industry…or anyon …more flag Like · see review Feb 17, 2019 Reggie Carlisle rated it it was amazing This is one of the finest books I’ve ever read on leadership and innovation.I feel that all of my colleagues should read it, as well as the leadership team of my company.There is so much wisdom in these pages that I cannot do it justice in a review.Just know that reading this (and applying what you read) will simply make you better.Not just better in business, but a better leader, a better human being. flag Like · comment · see review Apr 12, 2019 Rajat Jain rated it really liked it Change is the only constant. Learn to be a change-maker.The book has powerful concepts viz. Imagination gap, STAR Method (Shelter, Tell someone, Ask yourself, Repeat).The key takeaway - ‘Grab your own permission, no one will give the permission to you to come out with cutting edge idea, side-hustle for mini success’.Wonderful read!! flag Like · comment · see review Oct 21, 2018 Erin rated it it was ok Shocked by the positive response. Found this book to be a mediocre memoir with infuriating commentary like “YouTube was built on the back of [SNL’s] Lazy Sunday” and watered down advice on innovation and disruption. The book also glorifies GE culture and leadership which seems outdated reading it in 2018. flag Like · comment · see review Mar 05, 2019 Ryan rated it really liked it I was surprised at the ease of reading for a business book. It flowed quite well however about 3/4 in it slowed a bit. A little heavy on personal journey and could have been a bit shorter overall or more condensed. However it finished with good information and some helpful quotes and tools overall. A good read for any one looking to make a “change”. flag Like · comment · see review Jul 02, 2019 Lincoln Wachira rated it it was amazing Really enjoyed this book from the perspective of a quick put to action recipe this book scores average , this is not to say the book isn’t brimming with usable content but the reader will have to swim through the memoir sections of the book.Towards the end of the book Beth provides a summary of actionable steps one can apply to their company or themselves. flag Like · comment · see review Oct 09, 2018 Lauren rated it really liked it Great to read about these principles as they applied to Beth’s experience at GE. It’s a great story and the actionable takeaways remind the reader to take emergent and innovative principles to their own organizations or personal life. I’d really love to grab a drink with Beth and ask her more questions about some of these stories, off the record. flag Like · comment · see review Jan 05, 2019 Reggie rated it it was ok This book seemed to contain a lot of inside the company scuttlebutt; so it didn’t hold my interest to the end The author didn’t convince me that an eagerness to have your head handed to you by a corporate safe player for your creative solutions is worth the effort. Risk taking in corporations isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. flag Like · comment · see review Jul 12, 2019 Jak Krumholtz rated it liked it I tapped out at 80 pages. I didn’t come into this book knowing Comstock and was thrown off when this book was a boring corporate ladder climbing autobiography with an occasional page dedicated to a single concept like “Grab your own permission” thrown in. Co-worker received it for free at a conference. flag 1 like · Like · comment · see review Nov 03, 2018 John Malley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition Must Read for Anyone Who Wants to be a ChangemakerGreat read, this book is a great balance of practical advise and real life examples/stories. Co-oping at GE with 3-different businesses from 2011-2013, I witnessed the impact of what Beth was doing first hand. flag Like · comment · see review Jan 02, 2019 Juliet rated it really liked it Shelves: biznass A good way to kick off the new year. Comstock navigated GE for 25 years and saw the company through a time of intense change and transitions. I found her bullet points and tips to be less interesting than hearing about how she handled certain challenges and opportunities along the way. flag Like · comment · see review Apr 24, 2019 Kagimu Brian rated it it was amazing Tomorrow can be better and i have the power to make it so. A beautiful book flag Like · comment · see review May 22, 2019 Pc rated it really liked it Agreed her move from the comfort zone that others think it is. No one know yourself better sometime we just need to trust our instincts and believe we make things that we want happens flag Like · comment · see review Oct 18, 2018 Do Ha rated it it was amazing This book has many lessons to help me develop thinking and intelligence flag Like · comment · see review May 21, 2019 Cindy rated it really liked it Informative and insightful. Creative as well as helpful. Direct and easy to comprehend. flag Like · comment · see review Apr 24, 2019 Munhjin Batbayar rated it it was amazing Wow! I’d say this book truly is a gift to the world. An absolute must read!!! flag Like · comment · see review Dec 13, 2018 Jaclyn rated it really liked it Fascinating and insightful look into being a change maker up amidst old school thinking and slow-moving, profit and numbers driven corporate world. flag Like · see review Feb 09, 2019 Alli Slater rated it it was amazing It was a great read - really interesting to hear about background of a company like GE and how they had to adapt to the times. flag Like · comment · see review Oct 22, 2018 Uday rated it really liked it Shares Insights from her journey at GE. An insider walking you through the challenges of instigating change and seeding innovation at a B2B industrial conglomerate. flag Like · comment · see review Dec 07, 2018 Paige rated it it was amazing Shelves: blinkist, 2018, for-coaching, favorites-business I think I need to read/listen to this a few times to fully process all the information. It had some good nuggets and food for thought. flag Like · comment · see review « previous 1 2 next » . new topic Discuss This Book There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one » . Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates Readers also enjoyed See similar books… . Genres Business 28 users Nonfiction 16 users Leadership 9 users Self Help > Personal Development 5 users Self Help 3 users See top shelves… . About Beth Comstock https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17545566.Beth_Comstock Beth Comstock 155 followers . Books by Beth Comstock More… . Sponsored Books The Victus Quest (World of Kandar #3) Shannon is travelling with Jevon to help prove he’s worthy to be the prince, but can Maya face a magical war without her sister by her side? www.goodreads.com The Bookminder Istria, 1679 A.D.Magick and the truth.Through both, Liara may unravel the mystery of her origins. But at what cost? www.goodreads.com view 45 reviews » caught in a lycan favour If you like a sarcastic and witty heroine and an alpha hero who can’t tame her, then you will love this book!!!! www.goodreads.com More Books… . Trivia About Imagine It Forwar… No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now » . Quotes from Imagine It Forwar… “Giving ourselves permission allows us to hack rules that don’t make sense rather than follow them; to take ideas and stories apart that aren’t working; to go around the gatekeepers, bullies, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that would stifle change. Developing a habit of self-permission will instill in you the belief that you are in control of your career and your life, regardless of what is going on around you.” — 0 likes “A spark is a person, usually an outsider, whose unique perspective—the more different, the better—challenges the team to think differently.” — 0 likes More quotes… . ![[./resources/book-imagine-it-forward-beth-comstock-tahl-raz.resources/box_77_top-right.png]]![[./resources/book-imagine-it-forward-beth-comstock-tahl-raz.resources/c_30_us.png]]