Lessons from The Corpse Bride

The play of light and dark has always fascinated artists and attracts all of us to some extent. In this example of a finely carved pumpkin, the image of Tim Burton's heroine emerges from the venerable vegetable by balancing removal and restraint. 

Organizations that try and do too much lose the creative tension between restraint and extension. When a group of people experiences too much collective activity, too much work, too much grindstone,  the result is predictable - you get a pile of pumpkin goo. The whole thing is worked over, I'll give you that, but the form is less than inspiring. 

It takes creativity, courage, wisdom, and a vision of something beautiful in order to lead an organization toward what is truly inspiring. Our most remarkable collective efforts only emerge with an artful application of restraint and extension.