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? Continue Reading…