I Turned Down a Leadership Role
I recently had a phone call with a recruiter about a role, which I ended up saying “not yet” to.
I hadn’t applied for this role. The recruiter had come across my LinkedIn profile and thought I was a good fit. I have the mindset that taking the initial call at least is usually a good idea as you can learn more about the opportunity rather than making any snap judgments (unless it’s a call from Evil Corporation, Inc. of course!), as well as growing your network. It’s good feedback to understand what the landscape of my domain looks like, what recruiters are noticing about my profile, and whether that aligns with my own expectations of my career.
On paper, this opportunity looked to be a pretty “Sarah shaped” kind of role (infrastructure supporting high-impact, cutting-edge research), and the phrase “when you’re building a team, you want to find the leaders first” was even used during the call. I took this as an implication that I was giving off “leader vibes” (whatever they may be), but of course I may have misconstrued the comment completely.
So why would I say no to such an opportunity?
This organisation is still operating in start-up mode. And what I have most recently learned about my working style is that start-up mode is pretty difficult for me. I thrive in structure - not when I’m drowning in decision fatigue and a process vacuum.
Also after burning out earlier on in 2025, I made some promises to myself regarding my most recent job search:
- Don’t take an opportunity just because you’re flattered to be asked
- Don’t take an opportunity just because people who know you think you’ll be good at it, especially if these are people you respect (they are probably right, but see previous promise)
To be clear, it is totally fine to feel flattered if you’ve been approached for a job rather than applying, and to listen to the advice of people you respect when making career decisions. I just didn’t want these feelings to be the driving factor of my decisions, as I’m trying to break free of my people pleasing patterns and make decisions that make sense for me.
Does this whole situation make the anxious goblin side of me that’s driven by an aversion to scarcity screech in terror? Absolutely, and that’s okay. But maybe that’s what growth looks like as well?
I was honest with the recruiter about my current situation and thinking, and they were very gracious in accepting my answer. They also said that the door was still open if I wanted to change my mind. So I’m clearly onto something with this “always take the call” mindset!