"Keep pushing until you cross the finish line." "Don't slow down at the end, but keep going." "Finish as well as you started." I've heard these kinds of comments repeatedly through the years as I've prepared for the run section of my physical fitness test. It looks good; it's a better time; it says something about that person that he or she will keep the momentum even at the end. It's sound advice, and I've found it to apply to more than just my physical fitness test.
Lately, I've been confronted with people who did not push through the finish line before retiring. They let their responsibilities go early. They shoved off duties onto other people without proper training. They just refused to do the work because they didn't feel like it. They could have finished better than they had started, but they simply quit running once the finish line was in sight. Consequently, their names leave a bad taste in the mouths of those who follow. Even more damning, people get hurt.
"Integrity" is a key concept for civilian and military leadership. It must, however, convey through the finish line. If one can't push through the finish line, then one should not start the run. The very same applies to the end of a career. Let us start well; let us finish well. Keep the leadership alive all the way to the end!
