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Have you ever had a boss, but you felt like there’s “no-boss”. When you confuse with your job, you can’t find him; when you’ve a problem at work, you ask him, but he leave you with no answer; when you give your best but he never know or the worst he don’t want to know. When you see that he do nothing, and wasting time that only God and himself who know what is he exactly do.

“He often does not make decisions and let things ride until someone else has to make the decisions. He’s a boss who often does not know what is going on and depends on subordinates to know”, said Gini Graham Scott, Ph. D., author of: A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses. In short, this boss may have the title, but in fact has left the ship rudderless or without a captain. As a result, management and leadership by default fall onto the employees. But this is not the same as a self managed team, where team members have a clear idea of what they are doing, know who’s in charge, understand the limits of their authority, and set their goals and tasks to get there. Instead, there is more of a sense of muddling along and filling in because the boss’s lack of management has created a leadership vacuum, explained Scott.

How does a boss end up in or continue in this position? One common way is when a person with technical expertise gets promoted into management, yet is still making a good technical contribution. The person may even continue to be supported by upper level management because of his contributions as a technical expert. As long as the boss has an assistant or other employees who can pick up the management/leadership slack, the situation can continue, explained Scott.

Yet, while some employees might welcome the freedom and autonomy of a boss who is missing in action, this situation often leaves employees frustrated and uncertain about what's going on. Additionally, some non managerial employees taking on the management role might come to feel resentment and think they are underpaid, since they have in fact become the managers.

So these are the solutions. If there's a management vacuum, you can fill it yourself; after all, nature abhors a vacuum. If you have a boss who isn't acting like a boss, it may be because he really doesn't want to be a boss and would really rather just be a technical expert. If you're a better manager or leader than your boss, then go do it; in the long run, you will be recognized as a manager and a leader, too. If your boss is making no decisions, that is a decision to continue the status quo. If that's not what you want, seek to make the decision yourself so you are better able to get what you want.

In short, it would seem like a win-win situation for everyone if you were to continue taking over the management/leadership vacuum. Make it clearer to the other employees and yourself that this is what you are doing, and you will feel less frustrated and uncertain about what you are doing yourself. As long as upper management knows what is going on and rewards you for your efforts, you can probably count on a promotion sometime in the future. Keep doing your best and success for you.

The road to job success starts after you study up on these 10 real-world work rules.

On an interview, wear neutral colors. Research shows that bosses view candidates better when they wear blues and grays with pastel accents.

Don’t up-talk. Speaking in a singsong voice and posing statements as if they were questions leave you sounding girlie and unsure.

Pipe up first in meetings. Staffers who contribute at the start of a meeting are judged more favorably than workers who wait until the end.

Stop over-apologizing. Women tend to say they’re sorry even when they didn’t do anything wrong, taking blame for others’ errors.

Keep your emotions tightly under wraps. No matter what’s going on in your life, crying or getting angry will make you seem immature.

Never assume you’re disposable. You may be entry level, but if you quit, it’ll cost your boss time and money to find a replacement.

Shake firmly. A limp handshake makes you seem unenthusiastic and nervous, but a strong grip will convey that you are confident.

Bag pointless bitching. It’s fine to voice a complaint or concern, but only if you propose a solution to the problem as well.

Don’t be the workplace narc. Say something if you witness an illegal going-on, but it’s smarter to bite your tongue when you spy a minor incident.

Get rid of your giggle. Develop a good laugh that shows you have a sense of humor. A giggle sounds childish and isn’t appropriate for the workplace.

[CR]