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What I leave unfinished may be more important than what I complete
John Drysdale
September 17, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
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Do you ever get frustrated when you can’t get a task or project finished ?
This question surfaced for me on a recent trip to Norway when I visited Trondheim –a city about 500 km north of Oslo, founded by the Vikings in the 11th century.
In common with half a million people who visit it each year, I stood there, inspired, by the towering west front of Nidaros Cathedral, its spires and statues reaching skyward as they have for nearly a thousand years. Nidaros became the most important pilgrimage site in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages.
Today the cathedral remains a place of pilgrimage and of legend.
West Facade, Nidaros Cathedral. Trondheim, Norway
Woven into its very identity one legend made a profound impact on me:
“ Nidaros Cathedral must never be complete. If it is ever finally finished, the cathedral will collapse and with it, the city of Trondheim itself.”
Its origins are lost in time.
The story likely stems from medieval folklore that linked great cathedrals to the fate of their cities. Cathedrals were often seen as living, sacred works – never truly finished.
Some say the legend arose because Nidaros has undergone continuous construction, restoration, and rebuilding since it was founded in the 11th century over the burial site of Saint Olaf (Olav Haraldsson), Norway’s patron saint. Fires and structural damage throughout history meant work was always ongoing – reinforcing the sense that it should never be considered “complete.” Even today, scaffolding and a stonemasons’ workshop are part of its landscape.
Inside the Archbishop’s Palace I watched a documentary about the building of the cathedral. One image touched me deeply:
The Mason who keeps Trondheim standing.
 “Mureren” ( The Mason) | High on the West Front of the Cathedral, this legend takes physical form in a sculpture known as Mureren – the Mason. It was created in the 1950s by the Norwegian artist Odd Hilt. “Mureren’ crouches on the parapet clutching the “final stone” that he will never place. Beside him, a gap remains — a silent promise that the cathedral will never be truly finished. This legend has shaped the cathedral’s identity – a living building, always in progress, never truly “done.” |
As I left the Cathedral that day I wondered:
What can the masons of Nidaros teach us about leadership?
Today our performance standards are intensely scrutinised. Stakeholder expectations are increasingly demanding. There is often a huge drive to “finish” – to achieve excellence, flawless products and business performance, a final outcome. But as the legend of Nidaros reminds us, completion can be an illusion – and its preoccupation can be counter productive.
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What are the lessons for Leaders in the Unfinished Cathedral ?
Standing before Nidaros, I reflected about the pressure leaders face to finish — to deliver the final plan, complete the transformation, to declare success. Yet the story of the mason and the missing stone reminds us that leadership is rarely , only about declaring something “done.” Instead, it’s also youabout creating the conditions for renewal, growth, and resilience.
1. Continuous Growth is Fundamental
Nidaros has been burned, rebuilt, and reshaped across the centuries. Likewise, no strategy or culture is ever truly complete. Leaders who see their organisations as living, evolving systems avoid stagnation and keep renewal at the heart of their work.
2. Adaptation Is Crucial to Survival
The cathedral stands today not because it was immune to disaster, but because it was always rebuilt. The same is true in business: resilience comes from the ability to adapt, not from trying to lock in a perfect end state.
3. Humility Opens the Door to Innovation
The mason holding back his final stone is a quiet act of humility — a recognition that perfection is both impossible and dangerous. Leaders who acknowledge what is unfinished invite curiosity, fresh ideas, and collaboration.
4. Legacy Is Greater Than Completion
The medieval masons who built Nidaros knew they would never see it “finished.” They still laid their stones with care, trusting others would carry the work forward. True leadership is measured not just by what we complete in our tenure, but also by what we set in motion for the future.
Personal reflection
As I looked up at ‘Mureren’ I sensed an unexpected connection.
My own family were stone masons over the generations.
Indeed my great, great grandfather worked on the restoration of Culross Abbey, on the banks of the River Forth Estuary in Scotland. Legend has it that in the 6th Century it was the birthplace of St Mungo, Patron Saint of the City of Glasgow .
Culross Abbey, Fife, Scotland - Birthplace of St Mungo, Patron Saint of Glasgow
Like the masons of Nidaros they built for others, for futures they would never see.
Perhaps that’s why that sculpture resonates so deeply with me: a reminder that what we leave unfinished may be as important as what we complete.
So what are you, as a leader, setting in motion for the future?
If you have colleagues or associates who you think would be interested in the ideas that I have been sharing here, please forward this Newsletter to them
‘Til next time.
John