You love the job. You love the company. You love the people. But when it comes to the boss, there is no love lost between you. Countless workers are unhappy with their bosses for countless reasons—whether it’s micromanaging, under-appreciating or just being, well … bossy. Perhaps the most frustrating situation is when a boss is unsupportive. If your boss comes up short in terms of “having your back,” or undermines you at every turn, here’s some advice for coping.

If your boss regularly “throws you under the bus” or shares information publicly that you’ve asked him or her to keep confidential, you’ve got an unsupportive boss on your hands. Despite their lack of support and leadership, however, it is possible to rise above the circumstances and succeed.  

• Do your job. 
  It’s important to make sure you are doing your job and doing it professionally. If you’re about to embark on an extreme makeover of your unsupportive boss, you’d better be sure your behavior would stand up to scrutiny as well. For example, try not to succumb to the natural human instinct to under-perform when you become frustrated. And it goes without saying that you shouldn’t become a party to the same crimes your boss commits—such as betraying a confidence, not backing your team or coworkers and so on.
• Keep a record. 
  Although you may think diaries are for fifth-graders, the benefits of documenting your supervisor’s bad behavior are many. One, it will feel good to actually express all the actions that are contributing to your high blood pressure. Second, the list can be the beginning of the process to improve your relationship with your boss. And, in the unfortunate circumstance that you decide to leave your job or Human Resources becomes involved, it can be helpful to have these incidents documented.
• Take the high road.
  Once you’ve compiled your record, it’s time to demonstrate your leadership skills by taking the high road first. Try to improve the relationship by objectively crafting suggestions on ways your boss could better handle situations and/or actions. Set up an informal, non-threatening meeting to share your feedback and concerns. This will be a difficult meeting, so be prepared for your boss to show anger or become upset.
• If all else fails, move on. 
  If you still find your frustration at unhealthy levels after taking these measures, it may be time for you to change—jobs, that is. Unfortunately, there will be supervisors who simply can’t or won’t change their behavior. If this seems to be true in your situation, enduring an anxiety-rich work life just isn’t worth the damage it can do to your mental, emotional and physical state. Don’t be afraid to look for greener pastures—a return to a healthy environment may be just around the corner!