If you are going to lead, you will experience pressure – there is just no way around it. Since pressure comes with the territory of leading, we should know some areas leaders feel the heat:

Pressure from people
Leading will always involve people. It’s been said, if you’re leading and no one is following you are just on a long lonely walk. Whether you are managing people or their agendas, there is a unique pressure that surrounds leading people that you just never really get used to. Often it comes from wanting to please the people you lead, but just as often it comes when you don’t please the people you lead (even when you did the right thing). The key is conquering any fear we might have of people – superiors, peers or direct reports. Ultimately leaders have to do what is right and that might not be what is popular.

Pressure for more resources
There is always a need for more… talented people, money, materials. It just never goes away. Financial pressure can be one of the most restricting things we face. Many think that at some point there will be enough resources for this pressure to ease, but the truth is that as long as there is a growing vision, there will always be a demand on resources. The pressure for more resources, while daunting at times, is better than the counterpart – the pressure of cutting back!

Pressure surrounding decisions
Let’s face it – you’re a leader because you make tough decisions. Many decisions we face could made by a well informed mature Freshman in college. But a few decisions are tough – really tough – and that is where you earn your paycheck.  These decisions come complete with all the pressure one would ever want. And that pressure doesn’t go away when you leave the office.  Good counsel, getting all the info possible, prayer and then making decisions confidently is how I deal with the pressure of decisions.

Pressure associated with the unseen realm
Whether your aware of it or not, there is spiritual pressure that influences our leadership. Living with an awareness of this unseen pressure is an important first step. But it can’t stop there, you should also know how to use spiritual weapons to combat spiritual pressure. Fortunately, the Bible gives us some ways to do just that: 2 Corinthians 10.3-5 and Ephesians 6.10-17 both have great wisdom for understanding and fighting spiritual pressure.

How have you experienced pressure in one of these areas recently?