How should I think about staying in a current role vs. leaving when a promotion opportunity comes up internally?

Stack-rank your priorities first: is it title and management track, compensation, impact, or something else? If people management is your primary gap and the internal opportunity genuinely provides it, it's worth exploring seriously — even if you've been impatient waiting for it. Explore the internal opportunity fully before making a decision: get clear on the team structure, success metrics, scope, and compensation impact. Run it like an offer negotiation. If the compensation doesn't move, or the scope isn't real, you have more information to make your decision. Don't cancel external interviews — just pause new ones while you evaluate. If the internal opportunity falls through or doesn't meet the bar, you go right back to your external search. Treat every option as just another opportunity to evaluate.