In a context of trial and suffering, the leadership-giving men are the favourite targets of attack and the ones likely to pay the heaviest price. So it would be entirely understandable that a brother from whom leadership might be expected would recoil at the risk and renege in his duties. If he feels he must give leadership nevertheless (because of God’s command to “shepherd the flock” in 1 Peter 5:2a), he could conceivably do it reluctantly, “under compulsion,” with a sense that he has to. The problem is that such a mindset prevents the shepherd from watching (“overseeing”) his flock with a sharp eye and so hinders him from reading his flock well, that is, without regard to self, and responding properly to their real needs. In turn, the sheep of the flock are not helped in their context of suffering. Hence the instruction to shepherd “willingly.”
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;