Imagine It Forward
By Beth Cornstock & Tahl Raz
Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change. Random House, 2018.
Summary of Imagine It Forward book by Beth Cornstock & Tahl Raz
The remarkable story of prominent businesswoman and former vice chair of General Electric, Beth Comstock, including the innovations she made and the challenges she overcame, along with advice on embracing change and using your imagination to adapt.
Chapters in Imagine It Forward book summary
What do you get from this book? The inspiring story of a woman overcoming her fears and transforming business
Accepting change and finding new ways to adapt are crucial to a company’s success
After the end of her marriage, Comstock started at NBC, left when her job grew frustrating, and returned years later as a vice president
When Comstock left NBC for GE, she entered a controlling, male-dominated culture
Jeff Immelt shook things up at GE by having faith in Comstock and abandoning traditional purchase methods
“Imagination Breakthroughs” changed the way GE did business and allowed for a more creative atmosphere focused on marketing
The environment was a major issue that forced GE to reinvent themselves through Comstock’s Green Initiative “Ecomagination”
NBC asked Comstock for help going digital, but Jeff Zucker refused to support her ideas, causing internal conflict
Building a good team starts with strong “social capital,” something that iVillage was sorely lacking when NBC took over
YouTube changed digital media forever; Comstock invested in this new culture by helping to create and launch Hulu
GE faced financial ruin during the 2008 economic crisis, but Comstock utilized the power of “story” to rebrand the company
Home healthcare devices drew all of Comstock’s attention, resulting in GE taking over the “Industrial Internet”
Comstock promoted “emergence,” focusing on growing startups like Quirky that would help GE adapt to a digital future
“The Lean Startup” method reinvigorated GE, and almost succeeded in saving GE lighting
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Imagine It Forward — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Imagine It Forward book
- entrepreneurs
- business owners
- anyone interested in improving their leadership skills
About the author of Imagine It Forward
Beth Cornstock
Beth Comstock was publicity coordinator for NBC, ultimately becoming the President of Integrated Media at NBC Universal. She also served as the Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer for General Electric, eventually accepting a promotion to Vice Chair. Tahl Raz is a bestselling writer and award-winning journalist. His work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review and GQ.
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