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Have you ever heard of the Forth Bridge in Scotland? 

Well I hadn’t either until I stumbled upon it reading this article trying to learn more about the design and performance of organizational systems.

For historical context, it’s a celebrated Scottish landmark, and a milestone in the development of railway civil engineering. 

But, what I found fascinating was that it also serves as a powerful metaphor for the ongoing nature of flourishing leadership.

In this issue, I’m going to show how by adopting The Forth Bridge Principle we can create more resilient, sustainable lifestyles that can withstand the test of time and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of leadership.

The Work Is Never Done

I’ve touched on this in the past, but I’m experiencing an increasing sense that our relationship with work has become estranged. 

I say this, because the energy behind the conversations I’m having with people about their work just feels different. Those conversations just aren’t carrying the same level of enthusiasm.

It’s possible this trend may be attributed to how we’ve been raised to think about work.

In modern western cultures we are taught to think of work as something that is terminal. 

Our traditional retirement models promise a clear endpoint: a fixed age when one stops working and transitions into a period of leisure.

The FIRE Movement has even taken this to another level. Now, all we need to do is hit our “number” to achieve financial independence and we can ride off into the sunset.

Work was never intended to be approached this way. In ancient societies, work was intertwined with daily life and spiritual practices. The idea of retiring from work and entering a period of leisure would have been considered nonsense.

I’m not here to rail on retirement, retirement is just one example of the manifestations of a misdirected belief system. This belief that life consists of a series of stable periods in which one neatly transitions through. 

When in reality, life is one big sequence of transitions, or as Albert Cherns stated, 

“We all know that the present period of transition is not between past and a future stable state but really between one period of transition and another.” 

You see there is tremendous work being done right now in an attempt to maintain this “stable” state you perceive yourself to be in. 

That “stable” relationship

That “stable” career

That “stable” lifestyle

That “stable” health

It all requires constant work. In fact, everything becomes work!

That notion shouldn’t demoralize you, it should excite you.

Work is something sacred, a path to self-realization, contribution to society, and connection to the divine.

Work is a powerful form of expression. Through your work you can express your love, your creativity, your gratitude, your uniqueness, your wisdom, and your commitment.

The Forth Bridge itself is a prime example that the work is never truly done.  

Since its construction in 1890, the bridge has undergone continuous annual maintenance and upgrades (aka. work) to keep it safe and functional. 

All systems, whether they are physical structures, software applications, humans, sports teams, or corporations, require constant work to ensure they remain highly functional and organized.

Please realize that “stable” is not the default. It’s the temporary byproduct of purposefully applied energy and effort. 

We exist in a universe governed by entropy, which is the natural tendency of systems to move from order to disorder, from structure to randomness. 

Work is a proactive response to entropy.

Working against entropy is the source of all growth, order, and progress in our lives.

Change Is An Inevitable Part Of Life

While you may desire stability and predictability, the world around you is constantly changing. 

So whether you like it or not, change is an inevitable part of life.

Giuseppe Tomais di Lampedusa said it best in, The Leopard, “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change”

This paradox highlights the tension between stability and progress. To maintain your desired state, you must be willing to adapt and evolve.

We marvel at the Forth Bridge because it’s appeared to stay the same over the past century plus, but the reality is it’s a completely different bridge today then it was back in 1890. 

If not for the change, we could only talk about what the Forth Bridge used to stand for. The purpose it used to serve. The value it used to provide. 

I see too many people trying to “keep things the same” by keeping things the same. Spoiler alert, this has never proved to be a successful strategy. 

To prevent decline or stagnation, like the Forth Bridge, we must embrace change and proactively seek ways to improve.

Remember everything is work. 

Resisting change is work. It requires substantial amounts of energy too. So, not only is resisting change futile, it’s exhausting. 

This is what I’m experiencing in those conversations about work I referenced earlier. People are exhausting themselves in trying to keep things the same by doing nothing differently. 

Even when they aren’t openly acknowledging their exhaustion it’s apparent by their lack of creative engagement with the problem they proclaim they’re desperate to solve. 

This slowly leads to the gradual surrender of their agency. It’s subtle, so it’s possible that they may not even recognize it, but if you listen closely you’ll pick up on it by how they communicate to you. 

“Just tell me what I should do!”

“They’re saying I have to do this [insert thing you don’t want to do] in order to keep doing this job”

“It’s terrible time to ask to do that now”

“I doubt they would agree to me doing that”

“Maybe it’s not as bad as I’m making it sound, plus the alternative might not be any better”

“I am not sure that would fly, it’s never been done that way before”

If allowed this type of “self placating” will go on ad nauseam, and where do you think that energy comes from?

You see the real exhaustion comes from resisting the change, not doing the work to change.

So please, let’s stop associating our burnout symptoms with work! 

I could rant on burnout for pages, but we’ll save that topic for another issue.

But, maybe, just maybe, the solution to your exhaustion is to learn from the Forth Bridge and start embracing change and continuously working for improvement.

I’m confident that in doing this, like the Forth Bridge, you will also be successful in creating a life full of added value, positive energy transference, and transformational impact.

Stay The Course,