Dealing with a bad boss

Leaving a job because of a bad boss is not uncommon. Around 75% of workers claim to be unhappy with their managers, with many feeling the manager is a key barrier to their progress.


If you do find yourself in the unfortunate positing of having a bad boss, a change of tact will enable you to aid your progress.

Bad bosses usually fall into one of three categories, each requiring a different approach.

Aggressive boss

They may seem the worst of all, yet an aggressive boss is likely to be laying the foundations of their own demise. They are usually weak and often insecure, which makes them, amazingly, reasonably easy to manage once we realise this: not least because their behaviour is usually well known. This means that your suffering has, probably, been noticed, although senior management may choose not to act.

Learning to calm an aggressive manager, listening to what they have to say, removing any emotion and intonating that their approach is unacceptable, will mean you acquire significant and transferable people skills that should put you in a strong position no matter what your future.

Passive bosses

Usually shy and avoiding tough decisions, conflicts, risks and strong individuals, passive bosses can be very frustrating but are less likely to present a major barrier to your progress. They are worth befriending and helping. If you offer support you are likely to have recruited perhaps your most significant ally. Their weakness is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by their own reports, meaning that your assistance and support will also be noticed.

Manipulating bosses

While aggressive or passive bosses are often insecure and reasonably transparent in their objectives, the manipulators are usually highly confident operators that have noticed - and are taking advantage - of your insecurities. They are skilled in their approach, so be careful, since you are probably less experienced and prepared to do battle.


Since manipulators deliberately create fear and elation in the workforce, you need to learn to remove your emotions from business activities – taking notes when listening is a good technique, ensuring you deal with the facts not an interpretation. Emotional responses should be irrelevant in the office, but to do this you need to know your facts and figures, so get forensic in your approach. If you know the details you can use the information to support your points and cut through any sweeping or inaccurate statements. This may lead to dealing with painful truths from time to time, but for manipulators the facts are sacred, so you need to get to the bottom of them.

Secondly, talk privately with the manipulator to let him/her know how their actions make you feel. In doing so, be calm and use a positive opening statement, then deliver your message, then close with a positive statement. This means they retain the initiative, which they will see as important.

Thirdly, develop your compassion. This is arguably the most important tip. If you can understand the pressures, goals and pains of your boss you will be equals. You can offer help, look for ways to help them achieve their goals and ask the same in return. A ‘win-win’.