Beth Comstock

It was a career highlight to be able to present the Edison Achievement Award to Jeff Immelt last night. He has led GE through remarkable transformation. So I got to salute him as a great business leader, and also a changemaker and a mentor.

In the past, when I’ve presented him with what seemed like a crazy idea. When I’ve miss-stepped. When things didn’t turn out as spectacularly as the brilliant business plans predicted, Jeff didn't ask, “What went wrong?” But instead: “What did you learn?” Always adding, “You know, we have to try things.”

“Just try.” Powerful words that give people (like me) and their ideas room to grow into their potential.

So excited to see the first “typeset” version of my book on the path to galleys. This is getting real!

Hate conflict? I do. But it is a necessary part of progress. If everyone agrees with your approach, then maybe it’s not as good as it could be. Leadership is about navigating tensions. Good topic to explore in Jeff DeGraff’s new book, “The Innovation Code.”

Something that really stuck with me from yesterday’s conversation with Jeff was what he said about diversity: “It’s about getting the best people and staying open to new ideas.” This succinctly captures the inherent value of diverse teams. Everyone has something different to bring to the table, and companies that embrace this mindset will innovate better. “It's about being fair,” he added. Well said.

Wrapping up at GE this week! So grateful for the amazing teams I've been able to be part of. Here with the brand & advertising gurus of BBDO Worldwide - Michael Aimette, David Lubars, Kirsten Flanick, John Ozzy Osborn and Andy Goldberg, GE's creative director. I have been awestruck and inspired by their creativity. My favorite: Ideas are scary — a timeless classic, thanks to the genius of David and Michael.

Enjoyed chatting this week w Navi Radjouin London about change and how people in business need to develop more feedback loops to allow them to respond faster and with more insight.

Passing the baton of leadership: Jeff Immelt made us better. That's what good leaders do. Happy to see John Flannery up next to lead GE into the future

Sharing good ideas at GE Customer Communications Summit:
What is good communications? A story well told. Be open and concise, make it relevant and don’t be afraid of emotion. Remember, business people are people too!
(Here with GE's CEO Jeff Immelt and Communications Chief Deirdre Latour)