• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

2

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

3

Current price of oil as of June 18, 2026

1

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

2

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

3

Current price of oil as of June 18, 2026
CommentaryLeadership

4 Types of Bad Bosses and How to Deal With Them

By
Tom Gimbel
Tom Gimbel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Gimbel
Tom Gimbel
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 4, 2017, 8:00 PM ET
diane39/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question, “How do you work with an incompetent boss?” is written by Tom Gimbel, CEO of LaSalle Network.

Bad managers don’t just exist in movies like “Horrible Bosses” and “Office Space.” Real-life versions of these characters populate today’s workplaces, too.

My company, LaSalle Network, recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 people, and 84% of respondents stated they have had a bad boss. Unfortunately, bad managers seem to fly under the radar; 55% stated they didn’t report the bad manager to leadership. More often than not, employees are worried that if they speak up, they’ll face serious repercussions or be fired. They avoid confrontation, and either move companies or suffer through.

If you like your company, your work, and your team, here is a guide to working with four types of difficult managers:

The narcissist

These managers care about self-promotion more than staff. They only want to hear how great they are, and they rarely ask for feedback on their performance because they don’t believe they are ever the problem. They take all the credit for an accomplishment and point the finger when things go wrong.

The best way to deal with them is to do your best work and humor them. This boss will take credit for many things you work hard on, but others will eventually realize your boss is not doing the heavy lifting—and they will notice you were humble enough to not jump up and take credit where it was due.

To satisfy these bosses, thank them constantly for their help and advice. Keep them informed on all communication you have with their boss and your clients. If your boss gets promoted, odds are they will take you along with them—so you need to maintain a positive working relationship.

The MIA

These bosses say they care about employee development but are never there for coaching and support. They don’t give frequent feedback and are rarely around to answer questions. They aren’t responsive via phone, and emails from them are brief and sporadic.

Whether the manager is on the golf course or constantly traveling for meetings, don’t get bitter or fall into the mentality of “out of sight, out of mind.” Keep working hard and compensate by communicating a lot with your teams on the status of projects to keep things moving along.

Lack of direction can be frustrating, but it’s a chance for you to excel. You have the autonomy to prove you can execute on well thought-out decisions without micromanagement. Lean on other leaders in the organization to get information and support. As a result, you can prove yourself to leadership and build relationships with people outside of your immediate team.

The best friend

These bosses want their employees to love them. They want to be included in the water cooler talk and get invited to the happy hours after work. This isn’t necessarily a bad attribute, but you may have to be up front and tell your manager you also want direct feedback and constructive criticism to help you grow. You may also have to set boundaries.

Best friend managers are more likely to be an advocate for employees, and often let them sit in on executive meetings and accompany them on client visits. These are terrific opportunities to learn and grow.

 

The whirlwind

These managers are always on the run. Although they want to get an update on a project, they only have one minute to listen. These managers ask you to do something and then forget they ever brought it up. The results can be chaotic.

To deal with whirlwinds, send a short update on a weekly basis or a recap of the projects you’re working on. That way you can use the limited time together to ask specific questions, as opposed to updating your manager on the status of different projects.

On the bright side, at least you’re not being micromanaged. Having a boss that prefers concise communication can also be beneficial, because you’ll have more time to get things done. In a world of short interactions, it’s important to be able to speak confidently and concisely.

Unfortunately, bad bosses will always exist. But these tips can help you work with them to continue growing your career.

About the Author
By Tom Gimbel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

dario
CommentaryVenture Capital
Four AI giants just raised $188 billion. Here’s how to survive the Big AI-pocalypse
By Carl Fritjofsson and Cameron SellersJune 19, 2026
3 hours ago
cj
CommentaryIBM
IBM’s $17 million DOJ settlement makes the case for civility
By Carolynn JohnsonJune 16, 2026
3 days ago
Vietnam has bold plans for its economic future. It will need U.S. tech, capital, and speed to make them happen
CommentaryVietnam
Vietnam has bold plans for its economic future. It will need U.S. tech, capital, and speed to make them happen
By Brian McFeeters and Vu Tu ThanhJune 14, 2026
5 days ago
ivan
CommentaryMidwest
The Sun Belt boom is over. Midwest real-estate investors say ‘I told you so’
By Ivan BarrattJune 14, 2026
5 days ago
t
CommentaryTariffs
A quartz countertop tariff could double your kitchen renovation cost — and kill 13 jobs for every one it creates
By Steve SwedbergJune 14, 2026
5 days ago
nexstar
CommentaryAntitrust
Nexstar CEO: big tech swallowed local newspapers. Local TV could be next
By Perry A. SookJune 14, 2026
5 days ago

Most Popular

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
Success
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 18, 2026
1 day ago
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
Economy
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
By Jacqueline MunisJune 17, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 18, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 18, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 18, 2026
21 hours ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
4 days ago
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed Chrome as a 'rounding error'—but Google’s CEO says he used the jab as fuel to win the browser-wars
Success
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed Chrome as a 'rounding error'—but Google’s CEO says he used the jab as fuel to win the browser-wars
By Preston ForeJune 17, 2026
2 days ago
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.