The Harvard Business Review recently published the results of a study of 30,000 managers. Over and over again some 300,000 employees cited the same flaws among their bosses. The bad boss, as it turns out, isn't necessarily the tyrant in a business suit yelling, "Do this now or your fired!"

BAD BOSS #1: The No. 1 complaint among employees was a boss who failed to get anyone excited or make them feel their work was important.

What You Can Do: Seek motivation elsewhere; preferably inside yourself.

BAD BOSS #2: The second "bad boss" identified in the study is the guy who settles for just OK. He never encourages his employees to try and do better.

What You Can Do: Set new goals for yourself. The old saying advises, "When you think you're ripe, you're rotting. But, when you think you're green, you're ripening."

BAD BOSS #3: "Poor leaders have a murky view of the future, don't know precisely what direction to take, and are unwilling to communicate about the future, leaving their subordinates with no clear path forward," says the Harvard Business Review.

What You Can Do: Ask! Do the best with the answers you receive and try to learn from others around you.

BAD BOSS #4: The worst leaders are focused on themselves. They are always concerned with how upper management views them, and they view colleagues as competition.

What You Can Do: Take the high road by tracking and documenting your own accomplishments. Don't let the narcissist get to you.

BAD BOSS #5: This boss makes commitments that he or she doesn't keep. "Saying one thing and doing another is the fastest way to lose the trust of all your colleagues."

What You Can Do: Be someone people at work can count on to get things done.

After reading this study, it's clear that every suggestion by Harvard, as to what you can do about your bad boss, adds up to the same simple solution...if you have a bad boss,

BE YOUR OWN BOSS!