"Yes." Phil's head ducked briefly as he studied his shoes. "That's it precisely. Every time I pick agents for an op, I do so carefully. I pick ones that I feel are best suited for the assignment due to their skillset, and who can also ..." he thought for a minute, silently. "... handle it best mentally."
Finally, his head lifted enough so that his eyes met hers, and his expression was uncharacteristically uncertain. "But it's a great fear of mine that one day I'll assume or ask too much from one of you. And that my oversight will ... lead to an unfortunate outcome." It was a confession of sorts, and unlike the generally stoic Phil Coulson.