32. Before You Quit Over One Difficult Colleague, Listen to This | with Miriam Dowling-Schmitt, DNP

Ever imagine the relief of resigning because one difficult colleague makes a job you loved feel unbearable?

When interpersonal drama makes you dread going to work, leaving can seem like the best option. Maybe the only option. You might tell yourself, “I’ve got to get out of here!” But that fight-or-flight urgency may be driving you toward a decision you’ll regret.

In this episode, nursing executive Miriam Dowling-Schmitt shares what happened when persistent frustration with one difficult colleague in the intensive care unit led her to leave what she now describes as probably the best job she’s ever had.

Looking back, she can see the “I’ve gotta get out of here” energy, the unmet needs, the unexpressed wants, and the assumptions that drove her decision. Her leader tried to help, but Miriam did not yet know how to ask for the kind of support she really wanted: the kind that might have helped her stay, repair the conflict, and protect the work she loved.

Before you leave a job you love, this episode will help you slow the urgency, look beneath the conflict, and ask for the kind of help you really want.

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00:00 – Why One Difficult Relationship Can Make Quitting Feel Like Relief

01:02 – How Trust Forms in High-Intensity Healthcare Work

04:28 – Why “Assume Positive Intent” Is Hard When You’re Triggered

05:49 – The Job Miriam Regretted Leaving Because of One Difficult Relationship

07:36 – What “I Gotta Get Out of Here” Energy Is Really Telling You

08:32 – How the Drama-Free Communication Iceberg Helps You Look Beneath the Conflict

12:40 – The Kind of Help to Ask for Before You Decide to Leave

14:42 – Three Insights to Use Before Workplace Conflict Drives Your Decision

17:00 – A 90-Second Practice to Pause the Urge to Escape

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Episode Links:

• Get the Drama-Free Leadership Starter Kit
• Get the Drama-Free Communication Iceberg
• Learn more about Miriam Dowling-Schmitt: LinkedIn

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Other Episodes You’ll Love:

• What’s Really Driving Conflict on Your Team (And Why Many Leaders Miss It)
• How to Quiet Your Inner Critic as a Leader When Praise Isn’t Enough

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More Resources for You:

• Explore Dr. Annie's Senior Leadership Coaching Programs
• Get the (free!) Drama-Free Leadership Starter Kit so you can eliminate interpersonal drama on your team.

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