8 Lessons from Imagine it forward by Beth Comstock

Imagine it forward by Beth Comstock is a semi autobiography and semi manual on how to navigate change in the era of technological disruption. She has also given some great suggestions to be a change maker in your organization. While most of these are not completely new I still enjoyed all of the concepts in one place. Here are the lessons I gleaned.

Don’t wait for permission – Are you waiting for someone to give you permission to take action on creating or implementing change. The main takeaway is don’t wait for someone to give you the green signal. Start with yourself and take action. Don’t let fear stop you and as you take action you will get confidence to do more.

Job crafting - The main point is to take the job no one else is willing to take. You can craft your job into anything you want. Also keep adding value to everything you do and go the extra mile.

Trends – Always be on the lookout for trends. We overestimate what can be done in 1 year but underestimate what can be done in 10 years. Think of the best case scenario if this change happens and what is the worst case scenario. Take different routes and read different books. Keep exposing yourself to new input.

There is a section on what it takes to be an emergent leader which I liked. Here are the keys to be an emergent leader

Ditch Hierarchy – Of course most organizations now are decentralized. So do away with archaic organizational models. In order to stay nimble and relevant in the 21st century you need to ditch hierarchy. You can check out my article on 15 keys to build a 21st century organization.15 Keys to build a 21st Century Organization

Organize around information flows – Control the information flows and be transparent in all your communication. This develops trust throughout the organization

Develop a good mission objective – As an emergent leader it is your responsibility to define the mission and set clear objectives.

Seek and use feedback – The sign of a good leader is openness to feedback. Only when you are aware of your blind spots can you make the changes necessary to be an outstanding leader. Here is my article on leadership. 22 traits of Great Leaders

Live in the in-between of what was and what will be – This is the heart and soul of the entire book. What was is the past which nothing can be done about. Of course you can learn from the past but never lean on it. The future is uncertain but when you are totally in the present moment you will achieve more.

The basic thesis of the book is change will never get slower than it is today and leaders who thrive are the ones who can ride this change wave with a sense of awe and flexibility. There are 3 suggestions from the author I liked in the HBR idea podcast as well. They are

1. Give permission for the people to fail and take action
2. Ask people to spend 10% of their time in assessing trends
3. Keep on constantly testing and experimenting with the team

There is another term described in the book called agitated inquiry which I liked. This is the practice of evolving an idea into action steps through heated exchanges and debate.

I hope you enjoyed this review. Thanks for reading this post.

The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.