As 2025 draws to a close, it would be disingenuous of me to suggest that this has been an easy year — least of all for those wearing the ropes of leadership.
I have observed, often at close range, how complex and overwhelming it is to keep together an institution, let alone a country. Sometimes the struggle to keep things together can persist with no imminent end in sight. This is particularly true for leaders who serve in institutions with very strict oversight and accountability protocols, or whose constituencies constantly demand that their needs be met. The pressure to deliver results and to measure up to a higher bar runs perennially.
From a distance, leadership roles are normally viewed as prestigious and status-enhancing. In reality, they demand immense internal strength in the form of emotional and mental resilience. Unfortunately, many leaders carry this burden in silence, as they are perceived to have it all together while the cumulative weight of responsibility steadily wears them down.
When a leader succumbs under sustained pressure, it is mostly interpreted as failure, weakness, indecision, or an inability to deliver their mandate. As I write this, I am not persuaded that such interpretations are fair. This is because, in most cases, the issue is neither competence nor commitment. Leaders, after all, are human — whether they occupy the office of Head of State, head of government, lead a corporation or board, serve as a traditional leader, or are a man or woman carrying the responsibility of leading their household.
A COMPASSIONATE MOMENT IN SCRIPTURE
Seeking to keep this conversation uplifting and refreshing, I felt it important not to speak in circles, but rather to draw guidance from scripture on how leaders might navigate fatigue, anxiety and even seasons of deep weariness. With that in mind, I would like to reflect on one of scripture’s most compassionate moments of leadership care — found in one encounter between God and the prophet Elijah.
“Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” — 1 Kings 19:7
These words were not spoken to a man of mediocre standards or a man who shunned responsibility. They were spoken to a leader who had tried — repeatedly, publicly and sacrificially — and had reached a point where his strength had been depleted. I think it is important to make that distinction.
Before the angel appeared with those words, Elijah had endured an overwhelming convergence of physical, emotional and spiritual strain. He was exhausted from tirelessly pursuing God’s mission, fearful for his life after threats from Queen Jezebel. He was deeply discouraged and questioned whether his efforts were making any difference. He felt profoundly alone, convinced that he was the only faithful servant left. He was so overwhelmed by the weight of his assignment to the point where he even expressed a desire to give up entirely. That’s how tough his going was.
THE HUMAN LIMITS OF LEADERSHIP
Elijah’s experience allows us to capture the very human realities of modern leadership — fatigue, fear, discouragement, loneliness, and spiritual weariness. The angel’s intervention appears to prove that even the most faithful and dedicated leaders reach their limits of endurance, while also exposing deeply underlying emotional brokenness.
In such situations, we learn that compassion, restoration and personal care are essential before a leader can continue their journey. I find that the lesson in this scripture resonates as much with modern leaders as it did with the prophet Elijah.
What this reminds us is that leaders, wherever they serve, are not immune to seasons when the burden of leadership becomes especially heavy. This is true even for seemingly insignificant leadership roles, such as leading your household.
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We also learn that there are times when leaders need a strong, affirming voice to restore hope and lift their spirits. What the story of Elijah captures so well is this: in leadership, self-care is not an optional amenity of the role, but a prerequisite for sustaining the work and continuing the journey ahead.
If we could closely examine the situation, there are leaders today whose exhaustion is not a result of haphazard activity, but of responsibility tirelessly and diligently carried out. In some cases, a leader’s exhaustion arises from misjudging the depth of a task or the length of the journey and, as a result, being insufficiently prepared for what is ahead.
Then there are leaders who believed progress would come sooner and who now, at year-end, find results far from being reachable.
We have leaders whose resources have thinned while expectations remain high. Leaders who wake each day aware that the work is nowhere near completion, or who are stressed that they are far off from hitting financial targets and other strategic goals.
I’m referring to leaders who face enormous pressure and scrutiny from above that rarely acknowledges that even leaders run dry from the complexities of leadership.
Just like Elijah, for some, the anxiety is private and overwhelming. There are times when leaders fear losing relevance, influence, authority, or trust.
For others, it is the dilemma of having tried repeatedly, adjusted strategies, absorbed criticism, yet still being confronted by stagnation. For leaders in media, governance, and public institutions, the pressure never ceases — strong, punchy headlines don’t care how good your last edition was, and in corporate spaces, new frontiers keep calling even when one’s strength and ideas feel totally used up after a long, winding year.
ENDURANCE REQUIRES REPLENISHMENT
Elijah experienced depletion deeply. After striving to deliver national transformation, he withdrew in isolation, feeling alone and defeated. God’s response to him was both gentle and instructive, not only spiritually, but also in the way it models leadership care.
There was no rebuke, no accusation of weakness, no motivational talk, nor call for performative resilience. Instead, there was compassionate acknowledgment: the journey has been too much for you.
What God demonstrated with Elijah reflects a rare quality in leadership — the ability to recognise human limits without undermining purpose or calling.
This tells us that leaders need reinforcement emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
With that said, it is safe to conclude that effective leadership, like nation-building or guiding institutions, cannot be sustained by momentum alone. It depends on leaders who, even when the odds are against them, are capable of rising to face the challenges head-on.
The 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Horeb speak to the stamina required to build systems, reform institutions, and gain public trust. Yet this endurance must be preceded by replenishment — leaders must build strength before they can go the distance.
Pretending to be strong when rest is needed comes at a cost. The uncomfortable truth is that tired leaders are prone to low-quality decisions — not because they lack integrity or competence, but because depletion clouds their judgement.
LOOKING TOWARDS 2026
Elijah was fortunate to have the angel appear at his lowest point. This raises an important question for leaders across all fraternities: when your strength is failing, who becomes the ‘angel’ in your case?
Who speaks without judgement? Who reaches out not to criticise but to acknowledge the weight you carry?
Perhaps that is the lesson many leaders need as the year closes — a rejuvenation that does not come through new plans or steeper targets.
Rarely does this voice come from within the structure we serve; but it could be your spouse, child, parents, a professional associate, or pastor who genuinely cares about you and your journey.
One kind word from them can reignite your strength and confidence.
Wishing you all happy holidays and a prosperous new year.
Until the second week of January,
God bless!
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Email: johnpires@live.com
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