The most pressing problems at work might be struggling with a “bad boss” or a hopelessly toxic work environment.

A bad boss is a big problem, and not easily fixed. In fact, front-line leaders are the primary drivers of employee engagement (or lack thereof) . If you are working for a bad boss I suggest you try these tactics over a three- to six-month period.

1) Make sure you aren’t the one with the problem.

Have you always thought your boss was an idiot no matter where you worked? Do your teammates seem to think the boss is OK? Any chance you have unrealistic demands? Or maybe the boss slighted you years ago but you’re holding onto that grudge like a dog on a bone? Are you negative all the time, about everyone? Don’t let this possibility insult you. Take a deep breath and really think about it. If you’re sure it’s not you, move on to step number 2.

2) Realize that your boss is human, and imperfect.

Similar to step one, make sure you don’t just need to give your boss a break. Kind of like what we need to do for our parents after we grow up. We need to realize that people become bosses and don’t always get the training or coaching they need to succeed. They, too, have demands, pressures, to-do lists, and maybe even their own bad boss. They make mistakes sometimes. (Don’t you?)

Observe your boss for a few days and try to notice how many things he does well versus poorly. When he is doing something “bad” try to imagine the most forgiving reason why it could have occurred. Is it truly his fault, or could it be something out of his control? Be mindful in this way for a week, and if you still think you work for jerk, move on to step 3.

3) Coach up.

Don’t accept that the boss has all the control, all the power, and all the responsibility. View your job, and his job, as a shared accountability. Ideally you can muster the professional courage to ask for a meeting to talk about “your job” and performance. In the meeting explain what parts of your job are going well and are enriching, and how you think things could go better. Use innocent questions as a form of behavioral suggestions, like following:

“One area that I still struggle with is month-end reporting. I’m trying my best but I think if I could get the report earlier it would help me to produce a quality report in less time. Do you think I could get that document earlier?”

4) Focus on the positive.

If your boss just isn’t coachable, and just isn’t improving, then think about all the positive aspects of your job. Are you learning new things? Do you like your coworkers? Does it give you a flexibility you need to take care of kids or personal items? Are you paid a lot of money? Hopefully the good elements of your job outweigh the bad boss behaviors, and you can get personal daily engagement by recognizing these other blessings. If the good doesn’t outweigh the bad, read on.

5) Wait him/her out.

If your situation is just irreconcilable, can you just wait for your boss to move on, or for you to move to another position that reports to someone else? In large or fast-growing companies, it’s not uncommon for people to get a new boss every year or two. If this is your environment, your strategy should be to grin and bear it and realize that this too shall pass. If, however, you are in a small business or a company with little growth, a wait-it-out approach might not be possible. In this case, there is only one option left.

6) Quit.

If all else fails, you have to quit. For the sake of your mental and physical health, and for the sake of your friends and family, you have to find a new job. The truth is that if you’ve been working for a bad boss for long, you probably aren’t in a position to get a better job. I hate to be so direct, but great talent always has options, and usually doesn’t work for a bad boss. This is the key point: You have to be the CEO of your own career--you have to be mindful of your career. Not just when you get a bad boss, but always. In good times and in bad you need to be doing the things necessary to give you career options. As the saying goes, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Always be learning, networking, planning, looking, and building your personal brand.

The most pressing problems at work might be struggling with a “bad boss” or a hopelessly toxic work environment.

A bad boss is a big problem, and not easily fixed. In fact, front-line leaders are the primary drivers of employee engagement (or lack thereof) . If you are working for a bad boss I suggest you try these tactics over a three- to six-month period.

1) Make sure you aren’t the one with the problem.

Have you always thought your boss was an idiot no matter where you worked? Do your teammates seem to think the boss is OK? Any chance you have unrealistic demands? Or maybe the boss slighted you years ago but you’re holding onto that grudge like a dog on a bone? Are you negative all the time, about everyone? Don’t let this possibility insult you. Take a deep breath and really think about it. If you’re sure it’s not you, move on to step number 2.

2) Realize that your boss is human, and imperfect.

Similar to step one, make sure you don’t just need to give your boss a break. Kind of like what we need to do for our parents after we grow up. We need to realize that people become bosses and don’t always get the training or coaching they need to succeed. They, too, have demands, pressures, to-do lists, and maybe even their own bad boss. They make mistakes sometimes. (Don’t you?)

Observe your boss for a few days and try to notice how many things he does well versus poorly. When he is doing something “bad” try to imagine the most forgiving reason why it could have occurred. Is it truly his fault, or could it be something out of his control? Be mindful in this way for a week, and if you still think you work for jerk, move on to step 3.

3) Coach up.

Don’t accept that the boss has all the control, all the power, and all the responsibility. View your job, and his job, as a shared accountability. Ideally you can muster the professional courage to ask for a meeting to talk about “your job” and performance. In the meeting explain what parts of your job are going well and are enriching, and how you think things could go better. Use innocent questions as a form of behavioral suggestions, like following:

“One area that I still struggle with is month-end reporting. I’m trying my best but I think if I could get the report earlier it would help me to produce a quality report in less time. Do you think I could get that document earlier?”

4) Focus on the positive.

If your boss just isn’t coachable, and just isn’t improving, then think about all the positive aspects of your job. Are you learning new things? Do you like your coworkers? Does it give you a flexibility you need to take care of kids or personal items? Are you paid a lot of money? Hopefully the good elements of your job outweigh the bad boss behaviors, and you can get personal daily engagement by recognizing these other blessings. If the good doesn’t outweigh the bad, read on.

5) Wait him/her out.

If your situation is just irreconcilable, can you just wait for your boss to move on, or for you to move to another position that reports to someone else? In large or fast-growing companies, it’s not uncommon for people to get a new boss every year or two. If this is your environment, your strategy should be to grin and bear it and realize that this too shall pass. If, however, you are in a small business or a company with little growth, a wait-it-out approach might not be possible. In this case, there is only one option left.

6) Quit.

If all else fails, you have to quit. For the sake of your mental and physical health, and for the sake of your friends and family, you have to find a new job. The truth is that if you’ve been working for a bad boss for long, you probably aren’t in a position to get a better job. I hate to be so direct, but great talent always has options, and usually doesn’t work for a bad boss. This is the key point: You have to be the CEO of your own career--you have to be mindful of your career. Not just when you get a bad boss, but always. In good times and in bad you need to be doing the things necessary to give you career options. As the saying goes, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Always be learning, networking, planning, looking, and building your personal brand.

Working is usually not a likable thing.

But if the salary is good, we might as well put up with it.

However, if you unfortunately have a very difficult boss, then it is another story.

Sometimes, you do come across that kind of boss who keeps giving verbal consent , but never taking the commitment seriously.

You may have already met this kind of boss. At first they agreed to let you push forward a new project, then somehow they changed their minds and acted as if they had never agreed to it.

Or, your boss may never fulfill what he has promised you and stop mentioning it at all.

The results can be imagind, your previous efforts may go to waste, and your expectations may be failed.

This kind of boss might be forgetful, or there could be a problem with his character.

If you have this kind of boss, then you can try to do this:

At each important point, confirm with them the agreed things, keep them updated on the progress, then confirm the direction again, and wait for them to give a new promise before you continue.

Moreover, it is best not to talk with your boss in private, but let some other colleagues participate in the conversation.

For example, if you communicate in emails, you may copy it to all the people involved.

If it is a verbal communication, then you may choose somewhere someone else is present to have the conversation.

Working is usually not a likable thing.

But if the salary is good, we might as well put up with it.

However, if you unfortunately have a very difficult boss, then it is another story.

Sometimes, you do come across that kind of boss who keeps giving verbal consent , but never taking the commitment seriously.

You may have already met this kind of boss. At first they agreed to let you push forward a new project, then somehow they changed their minds and acted as if they had never agreed to it.

Or, your boss may never fulfill what he has promised you and stop mentioning it at all.

The results can be imagind, your previous efforts may go to waste, and your expectations may be failed.

This kind of boss might be forgetful, or there could be a problem with his character.

If you have this kind of boss, then you can try to do this:

At each important point, confirm with them the agreed things, keep them updated on the progress, then confirm the direction again, and wait for them to give a new promise before you continue.

Moreover, it is best not to talk with your boss in private, but let some other colleagues participate in the conversation.

For example, if you communicate in emails, you may copy it to all the people involved.

If it is a verbal communication, then you may choose somewhere someone else is present to have the conversation.

1. Limit the pain, target the gain. Recognize that working for this person is a temporary assignment. You can set limits on how long you'll tolerate it, and use the time to make yourself more marketable. Let's say you decide you can take one more year of this (assuming your boss sticks around that long). If you figure out what you need to get out of the job to help your career, and go after it, you have a positive incentive to serve out that term.

2. Avoid surprises. Autocrats, even more than most people, hate to be blindsided. Therefore, keep them informed of significant, and even relatively insignificant, developments. They crave control and power, so feeding them tidbits of information satisfies this craving.

3. Be the go-between for your team.If you haven't already taken on this role, you earn the trust of other members of your group and be the one who communicates their problems and needs to the boss. This can be intimidating, since it means telling him things he might not want to hear, but the tradeoff of elevated status is worth it.

4. Refuse to be a "yes man.” Although many people try to appease an autocrat by telling him exactly what he wants to hear and following every order to the letter, this is a huge mistake. Instead, wait until you're convinced your manager is making a huge mistake -- one that will jeopardize his own stated goals -- or until you come up with a better idea that you truly believe in.

Then, make a concise, logical case for your approach: Emphasize the positive outcome. Focus on what your boss will get out of doing as you suggest. If you've already tried this, keep at it: Rehearse your argument beforehand and make sure you are stating it clearly and rationally -- and without a trace of condescension for his lack of technical knowledge. Sometimes, of course, it's not what you say that can trip you up, it's how you say it.

5.Do the tasks your boss dislikes. In general, command-and-control bosses don't enjoy extended debate and discussion, and they aren't adept at dealing with any type of 'people problem'. So consider making that your specialty (which will do no harm to your own long-term career prospects either, incidentally).

Helping your boss compensate for his lack of soft skills won't earn you thanks. In fact, he may resent your ability to do something he can't. However, even autocrats are rarely so oblivious that they don't know, deep down, that ignoring "people problems" will eventually damage their own professional prospects -- and that is one thing they can't stomach.

Are you ready for a new boss?

Your happiness and success in your job has a lot to do with the relationship that you have with your boss.

You might spend a long time building this relationship, but people move on, and one day, they might leave.

You find yourself reporting to someone new, and you want to establish their trust and respect, quickly.

The first step you should take is to build in some “networking” time with your boss — whether it’s coffee, or scheduling some time in a calendar for focused discussion.

This way, you can start to learn their goals, working styles and any new ideas they might have, and work to amend your priorities where appropriate.

Be proactive in terms of identifying where they might need help — that’s an easy way for you to secure some quick wins to help them shine, which builds goodwill quickly.

Impressing your boss is key to getting promoted and making more money.

And a career expert has a few easy tips for making it happen. He recommends you start first with your immediate boss because they're most aware of your day-to-day efforts. They're also most integral in performance reviews and promotions. Here are five effective tips.

1. Be the can-do employee. Accept any assignment graciously and without complaining. Take a leadership role in the group even if it's outside your comfort zone.

2. Look for new challenges. Don't get reticent because you're good at your current role. Keep thinking of new ideas.

3. Practice good time management. Get assignments done before deadline. Never make your boss ask when something will be ready.

4. Be proactive and be your boss' friend. Know his or her spouse and children and work to make small-talk. This will make it easier to come to your boss with ideas.

5. Keep up-to-date. Read trade publications and follow industry-relevant people on Twitter. Your boss will appreciate if you're in-the-loop about stuff they don't have time to follow.

I cherish being around people who are totally comfortable with who they are. There always seems to be an aura of love and acceptance that follows these folks around.

I think it's because they've figured out one of the biggest secrets to life: The possibility of being loved and accepted grows exponentially when we can truly say we couldn't be more comfortable with ourselves.

People like being around those who are comfortable with themselves because they're less threatening. We all feel the need to protect ourselves from threats aimed at our insecurities.

Insecurities are like open wounds, and it hurts when people poke at them.

It can be exhausting to hang around folks who constantly poke at us just to gain some kind of external validation through making everyone else feel smaller.

My favorite thing about people who are comfortable with themselves is they need no external validation.

They have discovered their worth is intrinsic and, by nature, something that cannot be taken away or added to based on what other people think.

Ironically enough, this ends up providing comfortable people with more external validation than those who feel they need it most.

Because comfortable people's worth comes from within, they see no point in tearing others down. To them, the only sensible way to speak about another is positively.

I guess when you realize your worth comes from within, you might as well build others up rather than tear them down, since their size is of no threat to your sense of self-worth.

Plus, it's a lot more fun to speak love to others and watch their eyes glow than it is to hurt someone's feelings for a cheap laugh, anyway.

When we become comfortable with ourselves through fully accepting who we are, we can silence the noise our insecurities make in public situations and become more attuned to the wonderful reality that unfolds before us.

The result is a world with fewer insecurities. To me, that sounds like a better world.