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Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity and the Power of Change REVIEW BY PATRICIA MCHUGH LAMBERT
Commercial litigator Patricia McHugh Lambert finds the future beyond the bedside table. I HAVE BEEN SO BUSY recently that
we must embrace change, be creative, and engage in frequent strategic planning. This book is absolutely relevant. While it may not have all the answers, it raised a lot of questions that I, as an attorney, need to begin thinking about, as well as a roadmap to consider such issues.
I have had little time to read. When I do read, I seem to focus on legal periodicals (to stay current with my practice), historical biographies (in order to have something interesting to say in conversations), and fluff books that are simply mind-candy.
I have already recommended Imagine It Forward to community leaders, MSBA leaders, and members of my firm. Young or old, whether new to the practice or an established leader, this book should open people’s eyes. However, a word of caution: as Comstock indicates in her book, change-makers and visionaries do not have an easy road. Inertia is a powerful force, and those who seek change need to understand this force. Avoid this book if you do not want to think about change.
Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity and the Power of Change, by Beth Comstock, is not the type of book I typically read. I started reading it (okay, I began listing to it on Audible) because the author, former Vice-Chair and Head of Marketing and Innovation at General Electric, was going to be the speaker at Executive Alliance’s 25th Annual Women of Excellence Dinner in October. As President of Executive Alliance, I thought I needed to read Comstock’s book in order to host her at the dinner. But as I listened to Imagine It Forward, I realized that it was the type of book that I need to be reading - a book on how I could be more innovative in my work, a book to help me imagine the future, and a book to help me inspire others to be comfortable with change. I listened to the Audible book twice, and now I am actually reading it to allow all the innovation lessons to seep in. When I first started “reading” Imagine It Forward, I was thinking that it might
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be interesting to learn how an economic engine such as GE handles challenges. But as I listened further, I kept making notes to myself about how the practice of law will change. It already is changing, and will continue to change due to such factors as technology (think artificial intelligence and process mapping), non-traditional competitors to our business, and the demands of a new workforce mentality. To be relevant,
Second, this book should be an important read to all those who mentor. I would suggest that anyone who is trying to mentor the next generation should work to inspire creativity and change. Imagine It Forward left me wondering what the practice of law will like 10, 20, and 30 years from now. That might make for an interesting discussion. PATRICIA MCHUGH LAMBERT is a Principal at Pessin Katz Law, P.A. in Towson, Maryland.
SHARE YOUR FAVORITES: What’s caught your interest lately? Send book, magazine, or article reviews to Patrick Tandy, Director of Content & Delivery, at patrick@msba.org.
