Focus on the Job not the Boss.
Bosses may come and bosses may go. Bosses have good days, and bosses have bad days. Some bosses make work a joy. Other bosses make the people around them miserable.
It is helpful for me to remember that the boss is not the job. The reason that I am working is not to get the bosses approval, but to get the job done. So when working for or with difficult people, I try to focus on the job I have in front of me and do that job to the best of my ability.
If the boss has specific guidelines for the way to do a certain job, I try to follow those guidelines as closely as possible.
Some bosses do not have any patience. I once had a supervisor who required that I only give him information that required his decision. He required me to give him this information in the form of a summary of the situation and some recommendations about what he should do. Then he would question me on the recommendations.
I found that the best way to work with this boss was to prepare before meeting with him.
I was successful under this boss. I also learned that his process of making decisions was very effective. I did learn a great deal from him.
After time this boss moved away. My new boss had a very different approach. He empowered the people around him. He corrected people by instructing them on what to do. I enjoyed working for him a great deal.
In working for both bosses, I learned to focus needs on the job not the boss. My performance was in my hands. I controlled my performance no matter how pleasant or unpleasant my boss might be.