My outplacement firm recently compiled its list of the bosses whose apparent sole purpose in life is to make their workers miserable.

Luckily for the nation’s 135 million workers, most of these bosses will never make a hiring or firing decision, since the list consists of the Worst Bosses on Television.

The good thing about TV bosses is that they often make real bosses seem harmless by comparison, at least until their next tirade. Certainly, bosses everywhere should try to be the exact opposite of those on our list. Being fair with employees builds morale, improves productivity, decreases turnover and ultimately boosts the company’s bottom line.

In the real world, bosses as chief executive officers are very vulnerable in their position. So far this year, through July, 846 chief executive departures have been announced. CEO departures are on track to surpass 1400 by the end of 2006, eclipsing last year’s record of 1322.

Whether leaving voluntarily or involuntarily, a changing of the guard is never easy for an organization or its employees. Leadership plays a much bigger role in conditioning employee morale than most realize., In our recent survey of human resource executives, 73 percent said poor leadership is the leading cause for low employee morale. That far outnumbered the percentage who blamed low morale on workload (16 percent) and salary/benefits (11 percent).

TV Tyrants

Here’s our list of the worst bosses on TV:

Chef Gordon Ramsey: The acerbic head chef on Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen, he has called his charges "donkeys" among other insults. Motivational style is "scare ‘em into submission."

Michael Scott: The regional manager in NBC’s The Office, defines ineptitude. He lacks brains, tact, empathy and any type of management skill.

Montgomery Burns: Owner of the Springfield nuclear power plant in Fox’s The Simpsons, he once attempted to block out the sun in order to cash in on the resulting spike in electricity demand.

Al Swearengen: The proprietor of the local brothel on HBO’s Deadwood is hard to please. If you mess up or cross him, he’ll stab you.

Dr. Bob Kelso: The hospital chief of staff in NBC’s Scrubs, he is extremely sarcastic and has an acute Napoleon complex; never listens to his staff.

President Charles Logan: The fictional president on Fox’s 24 sold nerve gas to the Russians and tried to cover it up; also had people killed.

Adrian Monk: The obsessive-compulsive detective on USA Network’s Monk is in need of constant attention from his assistant. His odd quirks and demands would try anyone’s patience.

Cosmo Spacely: The belligerent, obnoxious and rude Mr. Spacely made George Jetson’s life miserable on one of television’s first prime-time animated series, The Jetsons, which premiered on ABC in 1962.

Surviving a Bad Boss

So, what if you find yourself working for a real-life Mr. Burns? Here are some strategies:

• Accept that it is you who will have to change.

• Your boss, as bad as he may be, is still the boss and he attained the position by behaving the way he does. Odds are that the bad boss is not going to see the light and change his ways.

• Do not respond to negativity with more negativity.

• It may be tempting to tell off the boss, but it could be a career-killing move, leaving you with a reputation as insubordinate (even if your boss deserved it).

• Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Many bosses are concerned about not knowing what is going on, so it is critical to constantly update them. Even more important, though, is to find out their preferred mode of communication. Does she want emails, phone calls, typed memos, oral reports?

• If the boss is behaving in a way that violates company policies or the law, then you have to go to human resources and speak to them on a confidential basis about it. If you fear retaliation, find a way to inform someone in HR anonymously.

• Last resort: Find another position. Take a different job within the organization or start looking outside of the organization for new opportunities.