When a tree topples, often it is the combination of storms and unhealthy roots. Storms plus unhealthy roots lead to disaster. The same is true with leaders. It seems lots of leaders in all types of roles are toppling. Some say we are more aware now than we were decades ago, and that the toppling is not new. Others say toppling is more prevalent now than before. We agree it is too common and the tragedy of leaders toppling is agonizing.
When a tree topples, cleanup happens in a few days and grass is often planted where the tree was. When a leader topples, the damage is much more far-reaching and the cleanup takes a lot longer.
Storms plus unhealthy roots lead to disaster. Leaders, storms are going to come. We lead in a broken world. There will be challenges and challenging seasons. So, it is the roots we must be concerned with.
Two trees in the same field can respond very differently to a storm. The one with healthy roots endures while the one with unhealthy roots doesn’t. While both trees looked similar before the storm, the storm revealed what was already true about the roots of the trees. J.C. Ryle said it plainly: “Men fall in private long before they fall in public.” Focus on the roots, on your integrity and your walk with God, more than the storm. To endure, focus on the roots, not on the storms.
