When you were promoted to a leadership position did anyone ask, “Do you want to lead others?”

It’s an interesting question. What if your truthful answer is no – would you be honest? Because in most companies if you don’t want to lead others you’re stuck. You don’t get the promotion. You don’t get the raise (although often that first level leader position becomes a pay cut if you don’t qualify for overtime). You aren’t considered a team player.

This is what causes people who don’t really want to lead others to accept leadership positions anyway. If they say no their growth opportunities vanish. What growth opportunities does your company give workers who don’t want managerial positions?

Imagine your outside salesperson is amazing at her job. She’s the best you have. She has great relationships with the customers and coworkers. She consistently brings money in. She is sharp. Rarely does she make a mistake. To you, she is the most deserving of the open management position you are trying to fill. So you offer her the job.

She is excited and grateful, you can tell. But she’s a little hesitant. What would transitioning into a leadership role mean for her? It would mean being in the office all the time instead of getting out in front of customers (who are now her friends). It means a lot more paperwork (thinking about this makes her wince). It means she’s responsible for solving interoffice drama and dilemmas instead of taking her usual route and keeping her distance. It means being in charge of budgets and inventory, discipline and process sheets. In essence, it would mean being promoted right out of doing the things she loves.