This morning I received an email from my favorite photographer.  Bill Maile takes terrific landscape photos of Northeastern Pennsylvania and today his ‘Crossing Over’ photo caught my eye.

I’ve always been fascinated by bridges.  Man’s desire to make a connection from the known to the unknown.  Perhaps a link from their current environment to a new and sometimes undefined world.

Bridges, of course, come in all shapes and sizes. Some bridges swing, some are covered and others are suspended. Bridges possess this ability to be physical and abstract at the same time.  They can help us cross a river or chasm but they can also serve as paths to conversion and glory.  Bridges can connect us to new markets but can just as easily leave us stranded in a new and hostile territory.

There is A Bridge Too Far, the Bridge to Terabithia and the Bridge to Nowhere, just to name a few!  Leaders have long used bridges as a way of taking new territory or breaking into new markets.  Whether bridges are a metaphorical tool or a real world construct, they are the perfect tool for establishing a new direction and leading a major corporate change.

What new market will you bridge to this year?  What support mechanisms will you require?  Will the bridge need to be sturdy or can you afford to cross over with a small force?  How fertile is the new ground?  Is it lucrative or fools gold?  Is it the promised land for your company or simply a tempting and already crowded market?  Choose wisely my fellow traveler.

Photo Credit: Bill Maile, Jr. http://billmailephotography.ifp3.com/site/#/gallery/earth-sky-landscapes/crossing-over-22/