Trust is perhaps the most important component of any relationship, but it's the most important thing between a boss and his or her employee, so keeping or repairing trust is the antidote to bad bosses.
"If you're relationship with your boss doesn't include trust, then I'd call it toxic for sure -- but if they're mean, irritable or grumpy, that doesn't mean it's toxic," according to workplace consultant and best-selling author of "Failure Disrupted," Johnnie Garson.
"I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt," he says, "and if you've got a boss who's not leading, is not a leader, you have to try leading from behind."
"You have to try to foster an atmosphere that that boss doesn't know how to foster. I try to tell people to help manage their boss.
"You can do that by asking different questions in different ways, saying things like 'Hey boss, what can I take off your plate today specifically?
"Hey, how can I help do something that's beyond the normal work that's expected of me this week?
"Just a slight number of questions can begin to help change the conversation."
Just by asking how you can help out will not only imply that you could be an ally but are also dedicated to something besides yourself.
There really are "toxic bosses," Garson says, but like so many things, what you see is often not what you get.