Being a good leader is hard work. Much is expected of you. You must be competent technically, have a compelling vision of the future, be innovative, charismatic, fair, open to new ideas, an excellent communicator, a great listener, a team player, and have the patience of Job. All of this is difficult enough in the best of circumstances but what if your boss is one of those old school, “do it my way” kind of people. Or if he or she is manipulative, dishonest, patronizing, and volatile, how do you go about setting a good example for your people? Do you shrug your shoulders and think, “What’s the use? Anything that I might accomplish would just be undone by my boss, so why bother?” Or, do you soldier on in the hope that the seeds you plant may bear fruit at some point in the future (probably after you have retired or been fired)? Unless the situation has gotten to the point where you believe you must quit, most good leaders in this situation will choose to make the best of a bad situation. Just like the old Serenity Poem[1] suggests, focus on changing those things over which you have some control. What are the things you can do with your own team and your colleagues for which you do not need anyone’s permission? During leadership training, you may find that managers in these situations are your hungriest students. Show your appreciation of their situation but keep them focused on what is possible. You may find that most of those things are the same 
things that make all managers good leaders. Keeping in mind that there are always some risks in organizational life (as in life in general) when you decide to go your own way, but there are ways to minimize those dangers. What follows are some do’s and don’ts for “stuck in the middle” managers.
• Tell the truth. This does not mean you should reveal company secrets or talk about the personal lives of your executives. It means leveling with your people about business conditions, expectations, and performance. It means giving honest feedback to your team members: both good and bad.
• Listen. When someone comes to you with a problem, listen to what they say. Try to understand the nature of the problem and help them sort out their options. Don’t buy into “ain’t it awful” scenarios or doomsday talk. Encourage them to focus on what is possible rather than dwelling on the obstacles. This does not mean being wishy-washy or overly Pollyanna. Too much “management happy talk” will drive people crazy. Be realistic but work hard to find real possibilities for action.
• Set the example. As simple as it sounds, if you remain reasonably optimistic, most of your team members will follow suit.
• Don’t gossip. Don’t let yourself be pulled into gab sessions where there is a lot of finger-pointing, and back-biting. It just doesn’t do any good. Remain professional.
• Give credit where credit is due. There is nothing stopping you from recognizing good performance or extraordinary effort from your team members even if the organizational climate doesn’t encourage a lot of that. Even if it is limited to your own team members, you can point out actions that have helped your team be successful. Never accept credit yourself for anything that the team worked on.
• Take one for the team. Stick up for your team members. That means that once in a while, you may need to accept blame for something that feels unfair. But, never let your team members feel that they are in it by themselves.
• Pay attention. Care about your people. Learn about their lives, their dreams, and their worries. Let them know that you recognize them as human beings.
• Don’t start new programs. Don’t try to implement flashy, high profile programs that you will have to defend to your leadership. Keep it simple; doing the things that good leaders do to encourage excellent performance and teamwork. These things should be the every day, ordinary way of doing business.
• Resolve conflict. Whenever possible, help team members resolve conflicts equitably. Teach them to approach conflicts as opportunities for growth; not crises that tear people apart.
• Develop your people. Even if you have little budget for it, take advantage of as much training and development as you possibly can. There is much that can be done inexpensively. Check for online learning opportunities. Conduct training yourself. Have team members with special skills conduct training for the other team members.
• Take risks. Allow your team members to try new things. There is nothing more invigorating for a team than being able to successfully implement a new idea.
• Measure. Make sure that the team’s performance (good and bad) is documented regularly. The measurements should be clear, unequivocal and widely published. Don’t make a big show of outstanding performance but see that it is acknowledged.
• Don’t embarrass your boss. No matter how negative the situation, be professional. Don’t do or say anything that will compromise his or her position. It would just make your situation worse.
While it is not typically a primary topic in leadership training, such situations commonly appear when participants are asked to work on case studies or come up with real life examples. Show empathy. Use the situations for skill practice. But, resist the urge to spend too much class time on these kinds of side issues. Remember that you cannot “fix” the organizational culture during a single leadership training session. Nor can you change the behavior of someone who is not in the workshop.
There are many “unfair” organizational situations that can become topics during a typical leadership training session. Discussion of these situations can be rich with opportunity for learning but should not be the primary focus of the training. Allow the leadership skills to remain the star of the show!
[1] God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. –Reinhold Niebuhr