I told the leader I am looking

and he took it well.

I am after better money and a job where my actual responsibilities are formalised.  If I am to manage and develop people the way I do I want it to be in my title and want to get compensated for.  There is this internal position that has come up and I am going to apply for it.  I told the leader I would like to find out more about the opportunity.  He got the hint.

He knew straight away what bothers me.  He said he would support me if this opportunity was what I wanted but that he would like to keep me.

My leader is a controlled person.  He has the biggest poker face. But in this case his body language gave him away.  He crumbled.

It made me feel good.  I know he likes my work and cannot change what I want changing.  But I have to do what I have to do.