3 Ways Leaders Can Manage Tough Bosses

Managing a tough boss is never easy. Especially when you're a leader, because it can be challenging to find the proper support, which makes you hesitant to be honest about the challenges you’re facing. And it’s often easier to provide support to your team and colleagues than it is to get the support for yourself.

But there are 3 things that make it easier to manage a tough boss:

1.Be clear that where you work is your boss’s domain, and ultimately you’re there to execute their vision, regardless if it’s what you would do or think is right. It’s not that what you say and do isn’t important, or that you can’t work to change things, but you’re there to move someone else’s vision forward.

2. You have to allow yourself to express and process your emotions about your boss and the relationship outside of work, so you can better manage your emotions when you have to interact with your boss. Otherwise, everything they do will drive you crazy. So do whatever you have to do to get your feelings and frustrations out. Work with a coach, talk to a friend, etc. so you can better manage your emotions in stressful interactions in the moment.

3. If you’ve tried multiple times and in multiple ways to improve the relationship with your boss or to make it work better for you, and it’s not working, you have to decide if the job is worth it to you. How much are you willing to take? What is it costing you to have to deal with your boss? Is the situation an annoyance that you can deal with or something you’re losing sleep over?

If you’re trying to manage a relationship with a tough boss, remember that their behavior is out of your control, so the only thing you can do is control how you internally process it and handle it from one interaction to the next. And as you navigate this relationship, you’ll have to regularly ask yourself if it’s worth it to you? 

But you don’t have to go through it alone. It can be frustrating and scary to manage a tough boss, trying to decide if it’s worth it or not to deal with and stay at your job. Because let’s face it, you have a lot of responsibilities, and picking up and quitting isn’t always possible, at least not right away. If this is something you’re struggling with, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a Free, 30-minute Sustainable Leadership Discovery Session with me. This session will give you an opportunity to share where you need support and to learn how I can help.