The head of a mouse or the tail of a lion

A few years ago, I found myself at a crossroads that would define the course of my career and my life.

I was leading the team responsible for Groupon APIs across all Latin American countries, based in Chile, and reporting directly to the Latam Groupon CTO. Things were going well, but two opportunities landed on my desk at the same time.

The first was an offer to move to the United States and join the team managing Groupon APIs for North America and EMEA. It was an individual contributor role, with a lower salary, in a city I had never been to, where I’d have to speak a language I barely knew.

The second was from a fast-growing Latam e-commerce company. They wanted me to build and lead a new team from scratch, an exciting challenge with much better total compensation. Objectively, this was the safer, more obvious choice. It aligned perfectly with my passion for management and leadership and seemed like the clear next step in my career.

But here’s the thing: living in the United States had been a dream of mine for years. I knew opportunities like this didn’t come often. I was 29 years old. If I didn’t take this leap now, would I ever get another chance?

Still, the decision wasn’t easy. Moving to the US meant leaving a manager position, starting over as an individual contributor, and stepping into the unknown. It felt like taking a step backward in my career.

That’s when I remembered something my first boss once told me: "The head of a mouse or the tail of a lion?"

I chose to be the tail of a lion.

I packed my bags and moved to the United States, stepping into a role with less responsibility, a lower salary, and a foreign language I wasn’t confident speaking. It was uncomfortable and thrilling.

But it paid off. Within a year, I was promoted to a manager role again, my salary increased significantly, and my communication skills in English improved beyond what I thought possible.

I’ll never know what would have happened if I’d taken the other path. It’s counterfactual, and it doesn’t matter.

Sometimes, we need to step back, make the less obvious decision, and trust ourselves and the journey we’re on.