Support Your Leader—Even When You Don’t Like Them

Here’s the unvarnished truth: You don’t have to like your leader to support them. And guess what? Your leader doesn’t have to like you, either. But they can’t—and shouldn’t—treat you the way you treat them. The problem is that too many people let personal feelings, egos, and frustrations get in the way of progress. And organizations waste valuable resources dealing with what’s at the root: miscommunication and unmet expectations.

The leader is the leader. Deal with it. This doesn’t mean tolerating toxic behavior or abuse—that’s never acceptable. I’m talking about the everyday excuses. If your leader is hard to read, so what? If you want them to be vulnerable, understand that it will happen on their own time, not yours. Do you want them to lead? They will, and it’s your job to be ready and support them when that happens.

If you’re committed to making it work, here’s how to make your leader smarter/faster and limit your interaction time.

1. Make Them Look Good (Even If You Don’t Like Them)

Your leader’s success is tied to your success. Whether you like them or not, part of your responsibility is to make them look good in front of others. This doesn’t mean pretending they’re perfect—showing up prepared, solving problems, and ensuring they have the information to succeed. The better they look, the better you look—and the quicker you can get on with your work.

2. Control the Narrative

Don’t let your leader’s blind spots or personal biases define your work—step in with clarity and control. Identify the three key things they need to know so you can be bold, brief, and gone. When you control the narrative, you reduce the back-and-forth, focus on outcomes, and get back to what matters. Stop wasting time talking about personal frustrations—get to the point, deliver, and move on.

3. Solve Problems Before They Reach the Top

The higher something escalates, the more time and energy it drains. Solve problems before they hit your leader’s desk. When you prevent fires instead of starting them, you show value. Don’t drag them into every issue. Resolve what you can, escalate only what needs their attention, and keep your interactions minimal and meaningful.

Conclusion: What’s Really at Stake?

The inward focus, personal frustrations, and endless meetings to address “team dynamics” drain resources from the work that needs to be done. Here’s the unvarnished truth: you may not like your leader, but they are still the leader. Your job is to clear the path, not add obstacles. And if you can’t? Then, be bold enough to promote yourself to customer - opt-out and find another role. But if you stay, focus on what’s at stake for the team and the organization. Clear the path; don’t add obstacles.

The choice is yours.