By Peter Greer, HOPE International’s president and CEO
A few years ago, I came across a sobering statistic: Only 1 in 3 leaders finish well.¹
The study defined finishing well as “walking with God in a vibrant personal relationship, developing the potential God has given to its appropriate capacity, and leaving behind an ultimate contribution that is both pleasing to God and established by Him.”
My first reaction was, “That’s not possible! Surely a higher percentage of leaders are finishing well!” But the more I reflected, the more I realized how many leaders I had admired—from a distance or up close—didn’t finish well, for one reason or another. Some stepped away from their callings. Others were taken down by burnout, pride, or poor decisions. Some failures made headlines, but other largely unobserved, less-than-faithful finishes happened to mentors, friends, and personal heroes I deeply respected. Slowly I began to realize this study wasn’t just true, it was personal.
If leaders I’ve deeply respected—men and women with more wisdom, spiritual depth, and commitment than my own—didn’t finish well, how could I avoid the path that led them off course?
What began as a personal exploration soon became a broader investigation into patterns of leadership failure and practices that help leaders stay the course. My friend and co-author Jill Heisey and I wanted to know:
What goes wrong? And how can we guard against it?
What guardrails should we establish to protect us from ourselves?
What are the secrets to finishing well discovered by those who practice long obedience in the same direction?
Ten years ago, I co-wrote Mission Drift, exploring how and why organizations are prone to slowly drifting off course. Now, it felt like the right time for a “sequel”—not about how organizations drift, but about how leaders do, and what we can do to intentionally guard against that vulnerability. As stewards of organizations, teams, and people, we can’t afford to lose our way.
As I walked alongside the global leadership team at HOPE International, I couldn’t shake the sense that this research was relevant across cultures. Losing one’s way seemed to be a universal threat, and learning how to live and lead on mission would likewise be universally applicable wisdom.
So we began digging—into Scripture, leadership studies, and stories of those who stumbled and those who stayed faithful. We were amazed by the humility and clarity with which those who lost their way generously shared their stories—as well as the intentionality of those who stayed faithful. Finishing well was no accident. What emerged was both sobering and hopeful. There are patterns on the path to failure—and there are practices that help leaders finish well. This book is a field guide for recognizing early warning signs and realigning.
We wrote How Leaders Lose Their Way not because we had any answers but because we’re eager to improve the odds for ourselves, our colleagues, and our friends. We pray that far more than 1 in 3 will finish well. If you’d like to join the journey of long-term obedience and help others do the same, we hope this book will guide you. Let’s walk this path together.
Learn more about the book and download the free tools at howleaderslosetheirway.com.
¹ J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader, 2nd ed. (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2012), footnote 1, p. 242.
Originally published on July 29, 2025 on Medium.
