Is That Next Promotion Right for You?

High achievers are wired to move forward – to set the next goal, hit the next milestone, and keep achieving.

Sometimes that drive becomes automatic. You see the next promotion on the horizon, and before you even stop to think, you’re already preparing for it.

But then you feel hesitation and conflicting feelings about whether this is right for you, or just what’s expected of you.

What will you lose by going for it? What will you lose if you don’t? What will people think if you decide that next promotion isn’t right for you?

I’ve seen this play out with clients who are already performing at a high level. They’re respected, capable, and trusted to get things done.

When that hesitation shows up, it’s rarely about fear or self-doubt. It’s because they’re already anticipating what the next level might demand and they’re not sure it’s worth the cost.

When the Goalpost Keeps Moving to Qualify for Promotion

I recently worked with a client who’d been with their company for a few years. They’d been preparing for promotion for almost two of them.

Each time they were ready to apply, the organization changed its structure and promotion process. The goalposts moved.

We reviewed everything together – the process, what “readiness” looked like, what they could control, and what they couldn’t.

At one point, I said, “It sounds like the process keeps changing so the organization can justify any outcome it wants.”

They then realized they’d been focused on trying to meet shifting expectations instead of asking the bigger question: Was the promotion even worth it?

That’s when the conversation shifted from strategy to reflection:

❓ What would a promotion really give them?

❓ What might it take away?

❓ Would they have more influence or just more pressure?

❓ Would they get to do the work they love, or move further away from it?

Those questions led to a new kind of clarity about what was really right for my client, where they wanted to focus their time, and whether the organization’s changes were still a fit for my client.

Why High Achievers Hesitate About Their Next Promotion

When high achievers hesitate about a promotion, it’s often because they can already picture what’s coming: more work, longer hours, heavier expectations.

That’s a hard pill to swallow when you know how hard you’re already working. It’s hard to ignore the impacts to your stress levels, quality of life, and work-life balance.

And in some organizations, they’re right – that’s exactly what happens.

But not always.

In some cases, it’s not that the next level automatically demands more – it requires a shift from doing to leading. Many high achievers haven’t learned how to delegate, train, or structure staffing to meet their work output demands.

That means saying no to certain things, prioritizing instead of doing it all, and delegating or training others instead of doing it all yourself. It can also mean advocating for better staffing based on real workload and result measures.

For high performers who’ve built their success on reliability and delivery, that shift can feel risky.

It’s hard to think about dropping what made them successful – but they also recognize that it’s not practical to expect to carry it all with them into the next role. They also know that doing so would ultimately set them up for failure and burnout.

That’s where the hesitation really lives – the shift from doing what’s familiar, and therefore comfortable, to doing what the job requires and what the team needs.

When Promotions Stops Feeling Like Progress

I recently reconnected with a client who’d earned a major promotion the year prior. She’d started the new role with enthusiasm. We’d even talked about the next promotion step for her.

But now she sounded tired. She was hesitating about the next promotion.

Her promotion had meant more hours, more politics, and more stress. With her kids’ college start approaching, she wanted more time with them at home and less time adjusting to the expectations of the next role – at least, not right now.

Balancing What You Want With What Work Expects

It’s natural to feel pressure – that fear that if you don’t take it now, you might miss your chance later.

Timing matters and alignment matters even more.

A promotion that drains you isn’t truly progress – it’s just motion.

So before you decide, ask yourself:

❓ If I knew how to delegate, train, or set better boundaries, would this opportunity feel different?

❓ Would it feel like growth or like giving more of myself away?

❓ What support would I need for myself and how could I get that?

You don’t have to reject growth. You just have to define what the right growth looks like for you.

Reflection Questions for Promotion Opportunities

When you’re not sure if you’re hesitating for the right reasons, pause and ask:

❓ What excites me about this promotion?

❓ What trade-offs would it require: time, energy, relationships, responsibilities?

❓ Which of those am I truly willing to make?

❓ What am I assuming this new level requires of me and how can I fact-check those assumptions?

❓ Am I hesitating out of fear, or because this opportunity doesn’t align with what I value most right now?

Throughout my own career, I’ve been promoted many times – and I’ve also turned down promotions that would take away more than they gave in return. I never regretted saying no to the wrong opportunities; doing so made space for the right ones that came along later.

The Bottom Line About Promotions

Promotions can be energizing and fulfilling, but not all of them will be right for you.

If you’re hesitating, don’t dismiss it. That pause might be a sign of clarity. It might mean you’re ready for growth, but this isn’t the right growth opportunity for you.

Before you chase the next title, ask yourself: Is this the right promotion for me – or am I hoping another opportunity will appear instead?

Ready to get clarity?

Your next step should be the right one for you.

If you’re at a crossroads about your next move, schedule a conversation to explore what’s next for you or take my free Career Clarity Quiz to explore what's really driving your hesitation.

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