BUILT TO LAST

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ Matthew 25:21

Young, gifted athletes are often called promising. In organizations we identify those with promise as “high potential”. Organizations, parents, educators, and coaches are keen to seek out the best and brightest, encourage them, train them, nurture, and build career paths. The market is always waiting for the next unicorn, the innovative pacesetter. Small businesses seek mentors to help them chart a path to great success.?

Despite all this support and help, we don’t have to look far to see cautionary examples of bright entrepreneurs with millions in venture capital, of endless potential. The world is their oyster. But greed creeps in. Then ego and pride. They expand their corporate empire, acquire, fire, get listed. They become the goose that laid the golden egg and believe their own hype. Given such immense opportunity and promise, they forget the importance of stewardship. We must ask ourselves constantly as we climb the ladder of success: can we stay true to our purpose, our values, our potential? Are we a flash in the pan or are we built to last??

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As the leader goes, so goes the company or organization. Longevity in the corporate world is a rare achievement, reserved for organizations and leaders that embody resilience, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to their core values. Just consider that only 36% of companies are over 10 years old. Only 21% survive to 20. Small businesses on average, last only 8 years. In 1958, companies listed on the S&P had an average life-span of 68 years. Today it’s less than 18 and over 75% of those firms from the late fifties are gone. There are exceptions to this trend to the temporary. Interestingly, Japan has over 52,000 companies that have survived over a century. Organizations with a grander purpose seem to outpace the ordinary. US churches on average last an amazing 92 years, and chambers of commerce and certain nonprofits have great endurance because of the meaningful work they do.?

?Like promising up-and-comers today, kings Saul, Asa, Johash and Solomon had good training, incredible opportunity. They? were nurtured, tutored, pampered, and supported. All started strong, full of integrity only to fall into the pit of pride and ego.? Too often promising careers end in shambles because we begin to believe our own hype, we heed our own counsel, we yield to self-will, listen to false counsel, cling to power too long, follow cultural norms or simply live by selfish ambition. We’re looking for magazine covers and short-term personal gains. In doing so we, like our four kings, detour from God’s path of stewardship.?

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Thankfully, 2 Chronicles 17-18 gives us another king to follow. Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, served as the fourth king of Judah.? He ascended to the throne at 36 with incredible promise having learned from his father’s failures. Jehoshaphat began with a focus on reviving the rule of God’s kingdom,? pushed back against rampant idolatry, ruled wisely, appointed judges throughout the land to adjudicate disputes, fortified for the kingdom to keep it strong and safe from adversaries and built a stronger economy.?

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Then he blew it!?

Eventually, the young talented ruler became enamored with, and sought to conform to, popular culture. He accepted bad counsel and neglected his subjects. 25 years of power created pride and selfishness. The kingdom, like a business or an organization, was on the verge of collapse because of poor stewardship. He put his own success above those he led and the kingdom under his care.

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Thankfully, the King repented, followed the example of David, who upon moral failure, appealed to God for forgiveness. Jehoshaphat sought redemption and as 2 Chronicles 19 says, he became a better shepherd and stayed true to God’s way. His kingdom survived, and as we say today, he finished strong.???

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Which brings me back to the land of the rising sun. Why does Japan have so many enduring and lasting companies? Most follow a similar and familiar model to the young king of Judah. First, they focus on their craft, on quality and attention to details. They are truly servant hearted in how they respect and support their teams, their customers, clients and even their competitors. They innovate and think long term as stewards of their enterprise.? Those companies have created a culture of accountability and their executives know they’re temporary bridges to a long future. Research shows us that the leaders and their teams care deeply about living and operating with integrity and finally, there is an inherent desire to pass along their wisdom and skills to the next generation.?

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Are you thinking long term?? We can be sponsored and mentored. We can be given the best instruction, most impressive opportunities, incredible mentorship, but how do we use those investment? Are we listening to spiritually wise counsel? Are we building our character or building our resume? Are we ready to seek forgiveness and change our ways? Are we craftsman and stewards to something grander and more important than ourselves? Are we building organizations that last a century or are we building yet another disposable entity???

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More importantly, are you built to last??