Prevent Burnout by Leading from Your A-Game

On a recent leadership webinar, someone asked a familiar question: "How do we prevent burnout in ministry?"

It's an important question because the answer isn't what most people think.

I responded, "I don't think you'll burn out when you're functioning in your A-game." I wasn’t sure why I felt that way, so I have spent some time seeking more insight on this issue.

I don’t think it's impossible to burn out, but it's highly improbable.

Why? Because there's a self-correcting mechanism in us when we're operating out of our God-given design.

When you're functioning in your A-game, you're not working to prove your worth. You're contributing from a deep sense of strength and calling. You're not driven by insecurity or neediness, but by clarity and conviction. That's why it doesn't drain you, it fuels you.

What Does It Look Like to Operate in Your A-Game?

You gain energy from your work. It's hard, but it's fulfilling. Instead of being sapped, you feel fueled.

You're effective and deeply aligned. You're not just getting things done; you're doing what you were made to do. The role may change, but the calling remains consistent.

You don't feel the need to prove anything. You know this is your contribution to the Kingdom. That quiet confidence frees you.

You know when to rest. You don't overextend yourself trying to justify your role or importance. You sense a rhythm of work and restoration.

You grow in how you live it out. For example, I'm a "starter." Earlier in life, that meant launching new things, sometimes too many, too fast. Maturity taught me how to hand off the baby rather than let it die from neglect.

Lori, one of our partners who was on the webinar, described coming back to her A-game after near burnout as an "incredible blessing" and the beginning of a "healthy, sustainable ministry." That's the fruit of living aligned with how you're wired.

When Burnout Creeps In

Burnout usually doesn't come from overwork; it comes from working outside of your design for too long. The warning signs are subtle at first:

• You're exhausted all the time

• You're doing roles that constantly feel like a grind

• You're trying to compensate for team deficiencies

• You avoid setting boundaries or feel guilty when you do

• You eventually experience a loss of vision and motivation

What's happening? You've shifted from contributing out of strength to proving out of insecurity.

It's like trying to fill a bottomless pit. When ministry becomes a performance to earn value, there's never enough. As I said in the webinar, "It's a slippery slope because you can never do enough to fulfill your insecurities."

Here's what you need to know: When unmet emotional needs drive your effort, you will unknowingly set yourself up for moral failure, burnout, or worse.

Start Contributing and Stop Proving

Burnout often begins when we are in a season where we are trying to prove ourselves, when all we are called to do is to contribute to the work God has for us.

Proving is rooted in insecurity. You're striving to be enough. That's where burnout lives.

Contributing is rooted in design. You're giving what only you can give and doing so in the manner you were designed to contribute.

At times, guys rev their engines next to me at a red light, trying to race my Tesla. I don't need to prove anything. I just smile. Sometimes I'll tap the accelerator to remind them what's under the hood—but that's it. I know what I'm driving.

The same is true for leaders. When you know how you're wired and live from that place, you don't need to perform in order to justify your importance. You just contribute.

And when that happens?

• Burnout becomes highly improbable

• Ministry becomes sustainable

• Joy becomes the norm

  
  

So, how Do You Get Back to Your A-Game?

1. Discover How You're Wired

Assessments like the TrueWiring Suite are tools, not labels. They reveal your unique wiring, like facets of a diamond.

• Be honest in your answers

• Don't try to "game" the profile

• Don't take them in emotionally reactive states (like after a crisis)

Remember: There's no single ideal wiring for ministry. It's about awareness, not achievement.

2. Develop Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

EQ is not optional in leadership; it's essential.

Journal regularly: Track what you felt today and what others may have felt.

Practice self-awareness: Notice what energizes you versus what drains you.

Find a coach or mentor: Especially someone who will call out patterns you can't see.

Set healthy boundaries: These aren't about selfishness, they're about sustainability.

EQ is like learning to ride a bike. You'll scrape your knees. That's okay. Get back on and keep pedaling.

3. Distinguish Between Role and Calling

Your calling is not your job title. It's the way God wired you to contribute to His Kingdom.

It might be expressed differently in different seasons, but the core doesn't change. That's your A-game.

4. Build a Complementary Team

You don't need to be everything. You just need to be you. Build teams that let others shine in areas where you aren't wired and watch how much more effective (and joyful) leadership becomes.

Paul reminds us:

That's your A-game. Live from it.

Don’t wait for burnout to wake you up. Discover your A-game today and start contributing from your God-given design. Take the TrueWiring Assessment.