Beth Comstock is a former Vice Chair of General Electric having worked as Chief Marketing Officer for many years. The opening question in her book Imagine It Forward, posed to her by the CIA, is “Why are so many of our organizations shortsighted – unable to see around corners and unable to move forward in the face of accelerating change?”

One of the “deep institutional” failings cited against the CIA after the 9/11 attacks was “one of imagination.” Comstock believes that organizations are not investing in the level of knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity needed to survive current challenges and exploit new opportunities. Instead she sees a dogged insistence on doing things as they always been done.

On the other hand throughout her book she gives examples of working with people and companies she calls “Sparks” who stimulate fresh thinking, agile solutions and different perspectives.

Comstock talks of the “imagination gap” where possibility and options for the future go to die. Where are you on this spectrum as an individual and as a company? Is imagination something that you are encouraging and stimulating in yourself and throughout your organisation or something that is delegated to Marketing and R&D?

How can we as businesses and even as a nation re-ignite our imaginations to take on new challenges and even invent a new and better way forward?