Scenario 11 — Leadership pressure / decision fatigue

Situation (full narrative)

Michael recently stepped into a leadership role at church. The opportunity came quickly after the previous leader moved away, and several people encouraged him to take the position.

At first he felt honored and excited. But after a few weeks the weight of the responsibility started to feel heavier than he expected.

Every week there seem to be new decisions to make — planning events, responding to people’s concerns, coordinating volunteers, and trying to keep everything moving forward.

Michael has started noticing that he is carrying the decisions with him long after meetings end. He replays conversations in his head, wondering whether he handled them well or whether he should have done something differently.

He still wants to serve well, but lately the pressure has been building and he feels like he is always a step behind what the role requires.

Training exercise

• Write the situation in one sentence without using self‑attack language.
• Separate actual workload from the internal accusations or fears being described.
• Identify whether the main pressure is responsibility overload, fear of failure, or identity pressure.
• List which concerns are factual responsibilities and which are internal expectations.
• Choose one Authority card that places God over outcomes and perception.
• Choose one Identity card so the intercessor remains grounded rather than reactive.
• Choose one Situation card that best describes the leadership pressure.
• State the prayer focus in one sentence.