Navigating change is hard, particularly inside of organizations. Most people are resistant and afraid. Yet we all have to confront change- personally and professionally- and the pace of change is faster than ever. Beth Comstock led companies like NBC and GE through periods of transformational change. Her book, Imagine It Forward, encourages people to become change makers by leading with imagination. In this episode, we talk about embracing smart risks, challenging convention, and reinventing what’s possible.
Follow Beth: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Show Notes
- You have to give yourself permission to change (1:36)
- The imagination gap (2:04)
- How to deal with change that is forced on us (3:17)
- Build on small steps to move forward (8:34)
- The painful personal transformation that helped Beth learn to embrace change (9:06)
- The advice she would give leaders who are trying to lead change inside of their organizations (11:18)
- Using humility, vision and teamwork to overcome fear (12:24)
- How her transition from NBC to GE sparked her creativity (16:04)
- How she led the culture transformation at GE by bringing an outsider mentality (18:38)
- Why you should invite conflict to spur innovation (22:20)
- How story mobilizes people around change (26:10)
- How to help people fail forward (27:24)
- How she became a CMO with no marketing experience (33:20)
- “Take the job no one else wants.” (36:01)
- The business case for diverse teams (37:49)
- Advice for leaders on how to manage introverts (39:06)
- What she wishes she knew earlier in her career (41:49)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Imagine It Forward by Beth Comstock
- Ted Turner, media mogul
- Jeff Immelt, former CEO of GE
- Mark Parker, CEO of Nike
- Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike
- Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike
- Quiet by Susan Cain
- The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron
- The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra
- Midnight Children by Salman Rushdie
- The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
- Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors
- Serena Williams, athlete
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Ron Clark on Motivating Our Teams to Effect Change
- Patty McCord on How Netflix Built a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility
- Celeste Headlee on Ways to Have a Better Conversation
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