I'm not sure that this is inspirational, but in a way it puts at least some work relationships in the right context:
Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said today that he knows that superstar center Dwight Howard asked team management to fire him, a charge that Howard denies.
“I know he has,” Van Gundy told reporters after the Magic completed their shootaround. “That’s just the way it is. Again, I’ve been dealing with that all year. It’s not anything real bothersome. You go out and do your job.”
Asked if it makes it harder to coach given that he thinks Howard is not committed to him, Van Gundy responded, “It’s not a matter of being committed to me. It’s a matter of being committed to the team and trying to do everything you can to help the team win games. That’s all I’m concerned with. As far as the other stuff, I don’t think that matters. I don’t need love and support here at my job. I’ll turn to my family for that. I don’t need these guys giving me hugs and pats on the back.”
I prefer to work with people I really like, but I've also tolerated people I didn't care for because I felt like we made a good team, or that they brought something to the team, if only for a little while.