Psychology Today Blindspotting Blog [Post #1] — Are You Suffering from Promotion Grief?
Today I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new writing series in which I’ll be exploring the intersection of the science of psychology and business success. The first piece in the series is now live on Psychology Today under the title “Are You Suffering from Promotion Grief?”. In this article I explore why a promotion brings with it the challenge of adjusting our identity to align with the new role. Our identity determines what we prioritize, what we pay attention to, and how we define our work relationships. Assuming the new role without evaluating how our identity needs to evolve leaves us at-risk of stalling or derailing our career.
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“Promotion grief” is the invisible cost of upward mobility—and understanding it matters.
Most people associate a promotion with achievement, recognition and upward momentum. But as I argue in the article, the reality is far more nuanced: when you shift roles — say from individual contributor to manager — you’re also shifting your identity, your function, your relationships with peers and direct reports, and potentially the very meaning you associate with success. When that shift isn’t given its emotional due, it can lead to a sense of loss or ambivalence.
In the piece I walk through how this transition often requires a period of letting go (“grieving”) the old identity, while building alignment with the new one. Just because a role change is positive doesn’t mean it's friction-free—and realizing that is the first step toward a more sustainable leadership trajectory.
With this series, my intention is to deepen the conversation around self-awareness of how our unique psychology works well for us most of the time, but can sometimes be what's standing in the way of our success. Future posts will unpack how “superstrengths” can become liabilities when over-relied upon, how stress limits our motives, how to be strategic with your emotions, and how different types of intelligences lead to the best outcomes. I hope you’ll follow along, engage with the ideas and bring your own experience into the mix.
