Finish Well

I still remember very vividly my first leadership talk to real leaders almost 23 years ago. I didn’t understand many of the concepts I was sharing because I was so young with very less leadership experience but needless to say it made a deep impact on my life and the leaders who were present. I was sharing the leadership principles from “The Making of a Leader” by Dr J. Robert Clinton. According to Dr Clinton's research on scripture, leaders and institutions, he found that only 30% of the leaders finish their race well. Well, that is a very sobering number. You and I may not be in that 30% category. Why finishing well is so important for the health of the organisations and leaders who found them and the next generation of leaders who will continue the vision of the organisation forward.

Here are the three reflections. I am sure there are many but for the sake of this blog let us start with three. First, a leader is a very close representation of the father/mother of a nuclear family. If the father fails morally or financially, it will affect the rest of the family all through their lives. The same goes with the church and organization, especially the churches. The church is a community and the community is built on trust. When a community faces betrayal it will never be the same again. The repair work takes so much energy and rebuilding a culture of trust that functions well may take forever. Instead of breaking and remaking it is far better for the health of the church, and family to have a continuity of trust and healthy culture. Second, a leader who starts a church or organisation must run with the end in mind. However, it is so challenging if we aren’t aware of our propensity for sinful nature and weaknesses then our journey will be marked by pain and heartache. For many leaders starting is so very important. They want to make a big entry or impression but leadership is all about leaving lasting fruits. It is about the legacy and building an ecosystem where the next generation can thrive and excel. So a leader who doesn’t finish well will be remembered rest of his life for the mistake and failures he is associated with. No matter how much good he or she must have contributed in his or her tenure that leader will be marked by his or her failure. It is not just a toxic memory of a leader but one whose failure will leave an unhealthy church or organization that will fail to function to its fullest potential and calling. Lastly, for the organisation and church when a leader finishes well it is huge moral and spiritual wealth that will help the next generation to propel the next season of that church and organization. Health breeds health a good culture breathes excellence and growth. A church has an eternal call and the church must outlast one leader or one generation. Such a mindset will leave a deep impact on the non-believing people in the community. In fact, that shouldn’t be surprising but the natural outcome of Jesus’ followers. Proverb 28:12 When good people become leaders, everything is great, but when the wicked rise to power, everyone hides.