Anybody ever realize you were good at your trade but in the completely wrong role?

I think the trades have a bad habit of assuming that if you're good at something, the next step is obvious.

Good tech? Make him a lead.

Good foreman? Put him in management.

Great installer? Maybe he should be dealing with customers all day.

Then the guy gets promoted and absolutely hates his life. Not because he's lazy. Not because he suddenly sucks.

Maybe he just liked working with his hands more than managing people. Maybe he's great technically but hates selling. Maybe he can troubleshoot damn near anything but putting him behind a desk makes him miserable. Maybe the quiet guy nobody sees as a “leader” is actually the person every apprentice goes to when they need help.

We talk about this with our members because moving up doesn't always mean moving in the same direction as everybody else.

Sometimes getting better at your career means figuring out where you're actually at your best. And I wish the trades talked about that more instead of treating every career like the same ladder.

Anybody here ever take a promotion, position, or type of work you thought you wanted and realize, “Yeah... this isn't me”?