Haroun says this is a major “silver lining to having a highly toxic boss.”
“When you do a great job, your intention is not to come across as a threat to your boss or have them think that they hired their assassin,” he says. “Your career frustration can have an incredibly positive impact, which is you starting your own company one day and not managing people the way your boss did. Your boss actually taught you what not to do.”
“So, when you quit and then take your company public 10 years from today, you will be glad that you had a toxic relationship with your boss,” says Haroun. “Unjustified criticism is nothing more than a disguised compliment, so bring on toxic bosses.”
Miller says that working for challenging bosses presents the chance to learn something every day.
“We all grow by responding constructively to challenges, by strengthening the muscle as it strains to overcome a resisting force,” he says. “If you have an attitude of seeking out challenges to exercise your mental muscle you can turn any challenge into a growth opportunity.”
“Your boss is making you uncomfortable? Great. An opportunity for learning and growth,” says Miller, who also teaches courses on Udemy.
Maybe the best benefit to your career that working for a toxic boss can provide is challenging you to be more creative in your ideas and communication.
“One antidote is for you to intentionally adopt contrary behavior,” says Miller. “When the boss presents you with a challenge, respond with an assertive positive response, ‘Oh, that’s a fantastic opportunity to find a creative solution to that problem. I would love to work on that!'”
These sorts of responses “are contagious,” he says. And, as a result, the manager “might not be immune from catching the positive contagion.”