Young leaders can be guilty of spending more than a fair amount of time critiquing the boss. In the process, each of us have taken the things we like least about our current or past employers and created a fictional ‘glamour boss’ in our minds. This new boss, who now qualifies to grace the the covers of GQ, Fast Company, Psychology Today and Philanthropy.com all in the same month, is not human. She is made of the stuff that can only be concocted by drinking from the wrong workplace water cooler. Reset your expectations for this world.

Research Character – Before you work for or under anyone, take the time to ascertain fundamental nature and character of your new guide. Know which are the essential qualities of a leader that matter most to you. A job interview is a two-way street so do your own reference checking. Have confidence in the character of the individual that you are going to allow to lead you.

Concentrate on Core - Every leader has their core strengths. When you focus on their gifts, you have the opportunity to see their best and most remarkable qualities and contributions. Seek to learn from a leader’s area of expertise. Fault finding is a pastime that too many have become experts at.

Expect Less – Sounds weird I know. Do a personal inventory. In your frustration, write down every single thing that you expect from your boss. I mean it… write it all down. Now, if your list of reasonable expectations for your leader has grown beyond 2-3 major items (example = clearly defined path of what success looks like in your environment) I want to let you know that you are needy and your expectations are probably unreasonable.