Did you ever get promoted outside your zone of genius?

It happened to me when I was promoted from law professor to academic dean.

I knew the job wasn’t a good fit. I loved the autonomy and intellectual stimulation of teaching.

I loved helping to shape the lives of young aspiring lawyers.

I loved writing scholarly articles about issues that interested me.

But it was hard to turn down a promotion.

The dean told me I was the best person for the job, and in many ways I was.

I am organized. I write good reports. I can keep a meeting on track. I know how to keep the trains running on time.

So I said yes, despite a gut feeling I was making a mistake.

For four long years, I stayed in that position, waking up with dread every morning when I had to leave for work.

The best day of my career was when I stepped foot back in the classroom to teach a seminar on gender rights. I loved the issues. I loved the students who signed up to study with me.

I was home at last.