--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there's a need for somewhat of a…" description: "\"I think there's a need for somewhat of a mindset change. We need to have a consistent external focus. We've always had the research labs. We've always ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jeffrey-r-immelt-13924_big-companies_i-think-there-s-a-need-for-somewhat-of-a_836017.png" --- # I think there's a need for somewhat of a mindset change… ![“I think there's a need for somewhat of a mindset change. We need to have a consistent external focus. We've always had the research labs. We've always had the resources to be innovative, and we've been innovative in a number of businesses. But, in any big company, you have to constantly push…” quote by Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jeffrey-r-immelt-13924_big-companies_i-think-there-s-a-need-for-somewhat-of-a_836017.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jeffrey-r-immelt-13924_big-companies_i-think-there-s-a-need-for-somewhat-of-a_836017.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jeffrey-r-immelt-13924_big-companies_i-think-there-s-a-need-for-somewhat-of-a_836017.png) > “I think there's a need for somewhat of a mindset change. We need to have a consistent external focus. We've always had the research labs. We've always had the resources to be innovative, and we've been innovative in a number of businesses. But, in any big company, you have to constantly push people to look at markets and customers, rather than look internally at themselves.” [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Companies must shift from internal focus to external market and customer orientation to stay innovative. **In simple terms:** Look outside the company for ideas. Key Takeaway Prioritize market and customer insights. Themes innovation leadership market focus customer centricity Mood strategic pragmatic forward‑looking Type business leadership When to use this quote - product development - marketing strategy - customer research Key Concepts strategic thinking organizational culture external analysis Questions to Reflect On - How to balance internal strengths with market needs? - What tools help maintain external awareness? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on external focus can ignore internal capabilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-need/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Consistent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistent/) [Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Innovative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovative/) [Labs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labs/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mindset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindset/) [Mindset Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindset-change-600947/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Resources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resources/) [Somewhat Mindset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somewhat-mindset-600948/) [Think Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-need/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [It used to be that the only ones with access to cutting-edge technology were top government labs, big companies and the ultra-rich. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/it-used-to-be-that-the-only-ones-with-access-to-cutting-edge/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [When I was in graduate school in consumer science and math, all of the big companies had labs, all doing blue sky research,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-lerner/when-i-was-in-graduate-school-in-consumer-science-and-math-all-of-the/) [Sandra Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-lerner/) > [“What we are describing is a mindset change from “doing my job” to “doing the job.” It is also a change in focus from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sims/what-we-are-describing-is-a-mindset-change-from-doing-my-job-to-doing/) [Chris Sims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sims/) > [I feel I've got all the ability but my mindset I had to change because I beat myself up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ollie-watkins/i-feel-i-ve-got-all-the-ability-but-my-mindset-i-had-to-change/) [Ollie Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ollie-watkins/) > [“Mindset change is not about picking up a few pointers here and there. It's about seeing things in a new way. When people...change to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-dweck/mindset-change-is-not-about-picking-up-a-few-pointers-here-and-there/) [Carol Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-dweck/) > [“Change a mindset change a life it really is that simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/change-a-mindset-change-a-life-it-really-is-that-simple/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [“The Greatest CHARITY Of All Time, Is TRUE MINDSET CHANGE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ssendikwanawa/the-greatest-charity-of-all-time-is-true-mindset-change/) [Mike Ssendikwanawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ssendikwanawa/) > [The mindset when you change your body physically, and your ability physically, there's more of a self-belief. There is more of a security in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/the-mindset-when-you-change-your-body-physically-and-your-ability/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [So change your mindset. Change how you see pain. I want you to welcome it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/so-change-your-mindset-change-how-you-see-pain-i-want-you-to-welcome/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) > [Away from the pitch, I am still the same guy, but on the pitch, I want to be more aggressive. It's a mindset change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ward-prowse/away-from-the-pitch-i-am-still-the-same-guy-but-on-the-pitch-i-want/) [James Ward-Prowse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ward-prowse/) > [I think this notion that it's the population of the U.S. against the big companies is just wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-this-notion-that-it-s-the-population-of-the-u-s-against-the/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [There are so many people trying to change me... I need to just brush it off and just freaking continue. eff them... they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-so-many-people-trying-to-change-me-i-need-to-just-brush-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Systems don't change easily. Systems try to maintain themselves, and seek equilibrium. To change a system, you need to shake it up, disrupt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/starhawk/systems-don-t-change-easily-systems-try-to-maintain-themselves-and/) [Starhawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/starhawk/) > [The more that things change, the more we need to depend upon those things that never change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lapin/the-more-that-things-change-the-more-we-need-to-depend-upon-those/) [Daniel Lapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lapin/) > [“Sometimes you have to realise that things will never change if you don’t make a change yourself, and sometimes, you need to realise that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/sometimes-you-have-to-realise-that-things-will-never-change-if-you/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) ## More by Jeffrey R. Immelt > [I think we should have basically the same tax policy that Germany, Japan, the U.K., everybody else has, which is a tax rate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-we-should-have-basically-the-same-tax-policy-that-germany/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [I think that if you run a big company, you've got to, four or five times a year, just say, 'Hey team, look, here's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-that-if-you-run-a-big-company-you-ve-got-to-four-or-five/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [Business leaders should provide expertise in service of our country. My predecessors at GE have done so, as have leaders of many other great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/business-leaders-should-provide-expertise-in-service-of-our-country/) [Jeffrey R. 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Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [GE sells more than 96 percent of its products to the private sector, where America's future must be built. But government can help business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/ge-sells-more-than-96-percent-of-its-products-to-the-private-sector/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [People ought to invest in us because they like our company and the way they run it. We still do quarterly earnings guidance, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/people-ought-to-invest-in-us-because-they-like-our-company-and-the/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [Work hard with passion and courage. Life is a marathon of contribution. You really must work hard to accomplish something... Find your passion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/work-hard-with-passion-and-courage-life-is-a-marathon-of-contribution/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [Live with passion. Live with purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/live-with-passion-live-with-purpose/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [I do business in 170 countries; none of them is perfect. There is not even one country that I think of, and I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-do-business-in-170-countries-none-of-them-is-perfect-there-is-not/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [Managing innovation better may be the only way out of the abyss called commodity hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/managing-innovation-better-may-be-the-only-way-out-of-the-abyss/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [You can't delegate growth or customer satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/you-can-t-delegate-growth-or-customer-satisfaction/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [I was never afraid of failure. I realized that I was responsible for my own success and that every day offers a new beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-was-never-afraid-of-failure-i-realized-that-i-was-responsible-for/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [I have learned that nothing is certain except for the need to have strong risk management, a lot of cash, the willingness to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-have-learned-that-nothing-is-certain-except-for-the-need-to-have/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) [Explore all 48 Jeffrey R. Immelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) ## More Big companies quotes > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [In the commercial world, big companies mostly die within a few decades because they cannot maintain an internal system to keep them aligned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-the-commercial-world-big-companies-mostly-die-within-a-few-decades/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Whatever vocation you decide on, track down the best people in the world at doing it and surround yourself with them. Aim high and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/whatever-vocation-you-decide-on-track-down-the-best-people-in-the/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [I started noticing a lot of big companies are bored with ads; they feel sort of lost in the advertising world. They're not into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-started-noticing-a-lot-of-big-companies-are-bored-with-ads-they/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [Be creative. Innovate consistently on the little things that the big companies ignore. Little things often make big differences in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/be-creative-innovate-consistently-on-the-little-things-that-the-big/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I don't think you're going to have one bank. Big companies aren't going to give us all their business. 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Pure and simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-konrath/if-you-re-struggling-to-get-into-big-companies-you-probably-have-a/) [Jill Konrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-konrath/) > [Before I started my company in 1998, I worked for big companies traveling a lot and saw firsthand how much waste there was. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-cornejo/before-i-started-my-company-in-1998-i-worked-for-big-companies/) [Maria Cornejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-cornejo/) [Browse all 124 Big companies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think there's a need for somewhat of a mindset change. We need to have a consistent external focus. We've always had the research labs. We've always had the resources to be innovative, and we've been innovative in a number of businesses. 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