Ask Pam | What if I don't get along with my coworkers?

This bi-weekly LinkedIn Newsletter will address common and not-so-common questions leaders and executives, like you, have about the culture of the C-suite.

I've been serving in executive roles, reporting to Boards, CEOs, and Executive Directors since my early 20's. I've seen and experienced quite a bit, but mostly, I've learned a lot. These experiences are what led me to executive coaching.

If you're serving in the C-Suite or are headed in that direction, I'd like to hear from you. It's not often you can find a trusted advisor to answer your most pressing questions - for free. So here I am, let's talk!

This Week's Question:

Dear Pam:

I'm an executive, and throughout my entire career, it has felt as if I've been constantly met with challenges. Sometimes, it's my peers, and sometimes, it's my supervisors, but customers seem to love me. I've stood and looked in the mirror and tried to get feedback to understand what is happening because I'm not living the life I want. If it weren't for these people I have to work with, life would be beautiful. I have so much more capacity and talent than I'm being given the opportunity to showcase, and I am considering becoming a consultant. I'd love to know your suggestions on getting started.

Not Loving Life

This Week's Response:

Dear Not Loving Life,

Mouthful. So, I'm going to deliver the bad news first: getting along with people is 99% of being an entrepreneur. If you can't get along with people, they won't like you, and if they don't like you, they won't want to get to know you or work with you, which means they will never refer you. That's the whole of what becoming an entrepreneur is. There's a great Bible verse that says it all:

"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?" Jeremiah 12:5

As an entrepreneur, despite the movies filled with successful jerks (not calling you a jerk, by the way), connecting, collaborating, and relationship building are the bedrock of business success. The experiences you're having, the good, bad, and very ugly, all prepare you for what's next. If you can't manage it successfully, I mean overcome these pressing people challenges, how will you deal with 3, 5, or 10 clients, half of whom might be just as challenging, but in a different way?

My advice? Go back to the schoolyard, roll up your sleeves, and learn how to contend with the footmen so you don't get run over by the horses. I'd love to hear what others have to say.

Pam

Have a question you'd like for me to answer? Send it to [email protected]. Remember, your full name and contact details will never be published or distributed.

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