Gizmo

AE

Valued Contributor

Blew shot at moving to leadership role

I’ve been at my current company close to 4 years now. About 6 months ago my then-boss told me that an internal leadership training was coming up and he wanted to nominate me for it. He said he could envision me in a first line manager role. This boss got promoted to higher level of management within past few months, so sounded like he had an inside track.

I declined the opportunity as I felt that 1) I had far more earning potential as an IC and 2) I don’t feel like I’m a good leader yet - I’m still only a decade into my career and on younger side of our average sales rep. What I did not say is that I felt my work life balance as an IC is/was much better than if I were in leadership.

I am now noticing that there are dozens of reps who are moving into these sorts of roles. In speaking, with two directors at our presidents club, they said I “definitely“ made a mistake, not doing the trainings and taking advantage of the opportunity.

What frustrates me is that all of the people who I am seeing get promoted have nowhere near the metrics that I have in terms of closed-won revenue and attainment.

Did I shoot myself in the foot entirely? Is it possible to move to another company in a leadership capacity by telling them you literally turn down the opportunity to because it would make you less money?

☁️ Software Tech

🧢 Sales Management

🚀 Career Goals

12

15 comments

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Sunbunny31

Politicker

8

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

You declined the promotion. Being frustrated that the people getting the promotions aren't measuring up to your success is something I can't tell you not to feel, but honestly, this is on you. Who else were they supposed to promote, if you didn't want to do it?

A couple of thoughts:
-Are you sure you want to go into management? Or, are you just having FOMO because you're seeing your peers get promoted and they're telling you you made a mistake?
-Provided you really want to move into management, can you go back to that manager and say you've been thinking about what s/he said, and that while you didn't feel that you were ready at the time, you feel you're ready now, would the company be open to reconsidering you?
-If you do look externally, I'd never tell them I declined a management position because I thought it would make me less money. How does that make them want you as a management candidate (it doesn't). You could say that you declined at the time because you felt you had more to learn, but you are now confident in your abilities and are eager for the opportunity to be a leader.
-If you have some introspection and you realize you really do have better work/life balance as an IC and you're making more money to boot - realize that not all reps feel compelled to make the move to management. Not all of us want to be in management, or do anything other than the IC role. There is no one path.

oldcloser

Arsonist

2

💀

Bunnytruth here. Nailed it. Nothing to add.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

1

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I need to trademark that.

Gizmo

Politicker

1

AE

It’s mostly FOMO on future career opportunities. I can always move back to a IC role but much harder to make the jump to management.

It is encouraging to hear that others stay in IC and are happy long term. I worry about my health (mental and physical) that this job takes on me and I - perhaps naively - believe a leadership role would be lower stress

Sunbunny31

Politicker

0

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I'm not averse to people having options. But management really, really isn't for everyone. If you want to try it and you're feeling stuck in your current role, there's nothing wrong with you going that route. That said, it really isn't for everyone.

Speaking for myself, I've managed in the past, but never in a sales role. Once I landed in tech sales, I never looked back, and have not wanted to move into management. No regrets. Yes, there's stress sometimes. That doesn't go away in management, though, I can assure you.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

6

☕️

The best leaders aren't always the best performers.
The best leaders aren't always the best performers.
The best leaders aren't always the best performers.

I know many ICs that are in their late 50s and have no regrets staying an IC. They make more money than their peers who became leaders and most knew they never wanted to be managers. It's not a bad thing to not be a sales leader, it just might mean you know who you are and what works for you.

Gizmo

Politicker

1

AE

As backwards as this sounds, I just feel “stuck” having been in the same IC role for 4 years. Last year I made more than any Director at my company (best year of my career) but I’d like to have the flexibility to take on leadership roles at other companies if I wanted to.

Feels like you can’t get into leadership at a new company without having prior experience, similar to having a hard time getting an AE role if you’ve only held BDR/SDR roles.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

1

☕️

Do you want to be a leader? It's not a flexible thing to jump into and out of, you have to want to do that as your core responsibility and commit to becoming great at dealing with people and their behavior.

CPTAmerica

Opinionated

2

President/CRO

Know what matters to you and follow the career path that aligns best with that. Not everyone wants to lead people and that's fine.

Why do we hear about so many bad managers in sales orgs? Because we promote people based on sales numbers and tenure. Not based on a desire to actually be a leader and put in the work required to become good at it.

You highlighted some great points that most don't consider in this situation. They simply say yes because they want to climb the ladder just to say they did.

Don't worry about what that means for the future. Keep doing what is best for you and being a rockstar in the role you're in. If you do, the offers will keep coming and you can move up if/when you're ready.

TennisandSales

Politicker

2

Head Of Sales

yes you did. if YOU dont feel like your ready, but your leaders think your ready.....then jump on the rocket ship and figure out how to drive while you go!

i would go back to leadership and ask for another shot

pirate

Big Shot

2

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Well I'm sure you can revisit this in a year and make it to leadership if that's what you wanted

Diablo

Politicker

1

Sr. AE

Don’t compare yourself with others or what they are doing. Earning is your goals that might not be possible with the other role. Don’t listen to noises. I think you had clarity in mind and took the right decision. Don’t regret as it’s not going to help.

Maximas

Tycoon

0

Senior Sales Executive

People weren't born leaders, leadership experience is acquired by time.
Although you missed that opportunity but you still have the chance to reapply again at the same role whenever it's available again at the same company or even at a different one.
Btw, if it's possible to contact your old boss to re-get the nomination and the recommendation again for that role go for it, believe it will help a lot!

RelationshipMaker

Opinionated

0

Head of Sales

I've made it to senior leadership but it ain't what it's cracked up to be. The earn is close to the better AEs so I've headed back to being more a senior AE.
Less headache, less people management and certainly more fulfilling earning-wise.
If you've been pigeon-holed now, you need to make your peace with it or move on and up.

CRAG112

Valued Contributor

0

Account Executive

You said no to a gift horse. You'll still make a lot of money. You'll have protection via HR and others. Your career will balloon. But not right now.

Why people find pots of gold and treat it like brass is beyond me.

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