You may be a very good leader; in fact, you probably are. As a result, you may be the kind of supervisor/manager/boss that everyone respects and wants to work for.

However, you may have a boss who is not like you—in fact, the total opposite of you. Opposite is okay, except when it comes to values.

I’ve been asked, “What do you do when you have a boss who is demeaning with bullying tendencies, lacks integrity and empathy, shows favoritism, and micro-manages—a boss who points fingers, fails to show appreciation, doesn’t communicate so others understand what’s wanted, and tells you how to do things in a way that’s often wrong?”

It’s hard to believe there are people in responsible positions who possess these toxic characteristics. Unfortunately, they exist. So, what can you do when you have a boss who has them?

Leadership Tip
To preserve your health and mental well-being, you must make a conscientious decision on how you will deal with your toxic boss—then do it.

Here are a few choices to consider:

1. You can hang on because you feel confident someone will save you. Organizations today are less tolerant of bosses who behave badly, and it doesn’t take too many abused people complaining to HR before corrective action is taken.
2. You can accept the challenge. That means hunkering down and delivering results as you would with any other boss. To do this, you have to be mentally tough and recognize it won’t be pretty at times. However, your motivation comes from the satisfaction of doing a quality job. You can even attempt to find common ground with your boss and cultivate that relationship.
3. You can escape as quickly as possible by quitting or transferring to another area. Just remember this saying: The devil you do know may be better than the devil you don’t When you do leave, take the high road and avoid bad-mouthing the boss, especially after you’re gone. Bad-mouthing doesn’t help, and it always reflects poorly on your character.

Yes, every situation is different, so do your homework on the best way to deal with the toxic situation in your organization. That means your solution for dealing with a non-communicative boss would be different than how you’d deal who a boss who’s a bully.

I’ll leave you with this important message: Don’t try to resolve your situation by yourself. You will need support, validation, and encouragement. Having someone you trust and respect by your side can make all the difference.