A Difficult Boss – Their Psychology & How To Deal With Them

Many of us have had our own horror stories around bad bosses. I have particularly been traumatised by a difficult boss, which changed the course of my career itself! In fact, dealing with bad bosses is one of the most researched topics on the internet. So read on for my thoughts on how to deal with a difficult boss…

What makes some people so bad at being bosses? (The actuals bad bosses, not the ones we find joy in ganging up against just because they control our paychecks 😉  

Here are some subconscious psychological reasons

1. People who haven’t felt valued, important, significant, or competent in their lives, tend to ACT OUT when they are given a position of authority. They try to control, intimidate, insult or bully to feel important. They are like emotionally immature, incompetent people with loaded guns! 
   
2. Then there are bosses who have a very outdated mental model of leadership. They still subscribe to the ‘command and control’ model. This is something they probably witnessed in their early years from their authority figures. Or maybe, what they subconsciously learnt through their hard life experiences. 
   
3. There are bosses who suffer from an intense fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of loss, and fear of criticism. They try to micromanage to protect themselves from any potential threat. 
   
4. There are bosses who are young, and inexperienced. They are suddenly in a position of authority that they have no emotional maturity or experience to handle. 
   
5. Lastly, the classic narcissists who simply enjoy wielding power over others, and the recognition that comes with it. They are innately selfish and have no interest in anyone’s growth or well-being. 

Whatever the case, your psychological balance cannot be in the hands of people who are struggling with their own internal demons. 

So, we have to learn the skills to handle such bosses objectively and keep our emotional well-being in our own control. 

What do you think? What has been your experience in dealing with a difficult boss? Tell us in the comments below!

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