Should I Take the Promotion?
It sounds like a question with an obvious answer. You've worked hard. You're being recognized. The offer is on the table. So why does it feel... complicated?
The truth is, not every promotion feels like a win. Some feel like pressure. Some feel like a trap. Some feel like the version of success you were told to want, not the one you actually do. If you're asking "Should I take the promotion?" and you don’t feel an immediate “hell yes,” pause and pay attention. That hesitation is information.
Let’s unpack it.
First, what's really driving the question?
Sometimes the question isn’t “should I take it?” It’s:
- Will people be disappointed if I don’t?
- Am I afraid I won’t be offered another chance?
- Do I even want to do what the role requires?
- Will saying yes finally make me feel “enough”?
- Am I confusing status with fit?
Start there. Get under the surface. This question lives in the intersection between your values, your fear, your ambition, and your boundaries. That’s why it feels so noisy.
You’re not difficult. You’re discerning.
A lot of people assume that hesitation means something’s wrong with them. That they’re not hungry enough. Not tough enough. Not ambitious enough. They're being difficult.
But what if you're just choosing to be more intentional and refusing to be rushed?
The higher you rise in an organization, the more your job stops being about 'just' you. It becomes more about people, systems, risk, pressure, and constant trade-offs. That might thrill you—or it might drain you.
The promotion might come with:
- Less time in the work you love
- More political layers and meetings
- Higher visibility but lower clarity
- Better pay but less autonomy
And none of that is a dealbreaker. But it is worth noticing. You get to weigh the cost.
Curiosity beats urgency.
When people come to coaching with this question, I often tell them: don’t rush to fix it. Stay with the discomfort a little longer. Try asking:
- If no one I cared about found out I turned this down, would I still feel pressure to say yes?
- What would this role ask of me in the next year—and am I energized by that?
- Is this a bridge to something I want? Or a box I’m checking out of habit?
- What does my “gut” know that my brain keeps trying to over-explain?
Most of us are trained to override our gut. We push past early signs of burnout. We say yes to avoid regret. But regret doesn’t come from passing up a title. Regret comes from saying yes when you already knew it wasn’t the right thing for you.
Sometimes the answer is yes—with clarity.
To be clear: many people should take the promotion. Maybe it’s a great stretch. Maybe it lines up with a longer-term vision. Maybe you’re scared, but excited. That’s not a red flag. That’s growth.
But it should be a conscious yes. Not an automatic one. Not a “yes” to prove you can. Not a “yes” to keep other people happy. Not a “yes” to beat someone else to the punch.
It should be your yes.
And if it’s a no (or a not now)...
If you realize it’s not the move for you, that doesn’t make you small. It makes you strategic. Saying no is a skill. And it doesn’t have to be forever. It can be a “not right now” while you build the foundation you need to say yes later—and mean it.
A few strong reasons people say no:
- They want to deepen expertise before leading others
- They’re protecting personal bandwidth or health
- They see a better-fit opportunity coming down the line
- They’ve done values work and know the new role is misaligned
All of that is valid. And smart. Especially if you have the clarity to own it.
Thinking through opportunities
If the question “Should I take the promotion?” is living in your head, that’s not a weakness—it’s wisdom. You're asking something most people don’t slow down to ask. You're tuning in to your actual self, not just the image you want to project.
So sit with it. Stay curious. Talk it through with someone who won’t rush you to a decision. You don’t owe anyone a “yes” that costs you your peace and your priorities. But youdo owe yourself an honest look at what you want—and why.
If you’re in this moment now (or see it coming), here are a few coaching questions to help you think out loud:
- What’s pulling me toward this role?
- What’s pushing me to say yes, even if I’m not sure?
- What am I afraid to lose if I say no?
- What would a future version of me thank me for doing here?
- What needs to be true for me to feel good about saying yes?
- What needs to be true for me to feel good about saying no?
You don’t need perfect clarity right away. But questions like these help you clear the fog. And from there, you can make a move that feels like your own.
