Burn the bridge to show your commitment to change

June 6, 2018
To not burn the bridge means you are focused on everything that could possibly go wrong as you move forward, taking steps in fear and apprehension.

In 1519, Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, famously ordered burning the boats as his troops prepared for the seemingly impossible conquest of the Aztec Empire. He knew that having a Plan B would prevent his troops from having laser focus and an absolute commitment to the outcome they were moving toward. 

When I decided to leave the Houston Police Helicopter Division 20 years ago and start Discover Leadership Training (DLT), I completely burned the bridge with HPD. Flying helicopters for the HPD was my childhood dream. When I decided to move on, I was more in love with flying helicopters than I was on the first day I stepped into the Helicopter Division. I was told during my exit interview that most police officers who leave the department before retirement almost always came back. 

Despite my deep love for flying, I knew I had an even greater calling to serve society than working for the HPD. I created my vision for DLT and made a commitment to only move forward. I burned every bridge that led back to the police department.  I burned every bridge that led back to the Police Department. 

Let me be clear: those first couple of years of forming Discover Leadership Training from the ground up were tough; however, there was never a consideration of retreating. 

Leaving the bridge intact in your professional and personal life might seem like a great strategy just in case things don’t work out. However, if that is your attitude, you are demonstrating a lack of commitment to where you are going, a lack of belief that you will get there and a lack of confidence in yourself. 

To not burn the bridge means you are focused on everything that could possibly go wrong as you move forward, taking steps in fear and apprehension. 

Burning the bridge means you believe that success is imminent. It means that you realize that failure must be an option because when you take the risk of venturing out of your comfort zone, you will fall down a few times. Burning the bridge means you understand that falling down after taking a risk and going for what you want is a gift of authentication. You must realize that failure is not fatal. You may lose a few battles; it does not mean you will lose the war.

My coaching to you would be to constantly move towards creating a better life for yourself personally or professionally. Most of you will not cross a bridge until there is some pain to run away from. Waiting until something is wrong or broken versus focusing on your next level is running from pain, instead of running to gain.   

I am encouraging you to find a bridge in your professional, academic, personal or financial situations and cross that bridge deliberately focused on a positive outcome. An outcome that improves your business or makes you a better team member or one that advances your knowledge and pushes you out of your comfort zone is an outcome worthy of burning bridges. 

I encourage you to choose to cross a bridge that takes you to a more positive place in every one of your relationships. Here are my top five reasons why you should burn the bridge: 

  • The bridge will create a distraction that will lessen your chance of greater success 
  • You will move forward and create new possibilities 
  • You will hold nothing back in your relationships 
  • You will reinvent yourself to be a more positive person 
  • You will accomplish something you have never done before 

What bridges will you burn today and how will you and those around you benefit from you doing so?

Sponsored Recommendations

Best Body Shop and the 360-Degree-Concept

Spanesi ‘360-Degree-Concept’ Enables Kansas Body Shop to Complete High-Quality Repairs

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Banking on Bigger Profits with a Heavy-Duty Truck Paint Booth

The addition of a heavy-duty paint booth for oversized trucks & vehicles can open the door to new or expanded service opportunities.

Boosting Your Shop's Bottom Line with an Extended Height Paint Booths

Discover how the investment in an extended-height paint booth is a game-changer for most collision shops with this Free Guide.