Being a people pleaser almost cost this CEO his customers. Here are 4 essential lessons she learned on her way to the top.

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There are partners who do the work and partners who create the strategies behind the work. As entrepreneurs, we tend to do it all because we establish and build our revenue pipeline. But there are inherent problems with this approach.

Example: In my first full year on my account, I landed a huge client. I had the experience, knowledge and skills needed for the assignment, but I was just starting on my own and had no budget to hire help. Wanting to prove I could handle the project, I did it all myself, as a marketer, copywriter, and account manager.

What I haven't left time for is strategy. My desire to please the client took over, and I ended up throwing myself into tactical work at the expense of my strategic expertise. As a partner, I was doing myself a disservice. When the client didn't see my vision, he mentally put me in the "actor" category.

There are two inherent problems with being an order taker: First, the work commissioned from you may not match your vision and is unlikely to achieve the results they seek to achieve. Second, sooner or later they will move the tasks in-house.

Related: If you want your customers to truly like you, you need to be their trusted advisor. Here's how.

Apparently I'm not the only one who fell into the trap of pleasing people. Women are apparently more at risk of manifesting this trait of self-sabotage. According to a recent study, 56% of women are more likely than men to describe themselves as pleasant people.

Results from another study are consistent: 54% of female participants exhibited people-pleasing behavior, while a minority of men at 40% showed similar trends.

The pressure women feel to please others is real. It is a "gender norm" historically reinforced by society, making us more susceptible to associated behaviors, such as difficulty saying no or standing up for our cause. As Caitlyn Collins, professor of sociology at the University of Washington, so aptly put it: "Women have been socialized to understand that the most important thing is that they are perceived as sympathetic and agreeable."

We are more likely to nod and dive into the work than to disagree or say we know more. And overall, we're invaluable as workers because we want to please.

We tend to work harder than necessary to overdeliver, according to several studies, including Hive and Ponemon Institute. But just because we can doesn't mean we must. I've come to realize that establishing yourself as a strategic partner paves the way for more rewarding work and higher profit margins.

Fortunately, I was able to free myself from my people-pleasing ways. Fast forward 30 years, I'm CEO and award winner...