Almost everyone has had to suffer through a lousy manager. It’s not fun and, according to the Surgeon General, it can negatively impact your health. Thankfully, almost every manager reports to someone else, making it possible to appeal to their boss for help. But what if they have no boss? What if the CEO is your problem?

As I’ve written previously for Fast Company, toxicity can’t be killed with kindness—at least not within a timeframe that avoids unnecessary pain for team members who deserve to work in a safe, healthy environment. I’ve turned around large enterprises and coached hundreds of C-suite executives on how to improve workplace culture—and I’ve seen how toxic individuals can completely tank or derail an otherwise well-functioning organization. This problem is easily solved if your organization has any appetite for firing toxic employees. But if the rot is at the very top, you’ll need a different game plan.

History has served us countless examples of leaders who are responsible for the downfall of their own nations, industries, and organizations (think Elon Musk at Twitter). When the person at the top is the problem, the rest of the organization often feels held hostage. The emperor has no clothes and everyone knows it, but no one dares to speak up. Because silence communicates acceptance, stifles protest, and fuels toxicity, terrible executives can remain in power for decades without challenge. These organizations often suffer from high turnover rates as people burn out or get fed up and leave.

But what if you don’t want to leave? What if, instead, you want to neutralize the rot at the top? There are ways to put an end to executive misconduct from within. The actions I’m recommending are not for the faint of heart, but they’ve been effective for me. I hope you find them useful.

DETERMINE WHETHER THEY CAN BE COACHED TO CHANGE

First, establish if the leader is coachable. According to my friend Wendy Hanson, cofounder at BetterManager, determining coachability at the top of an organization usually comes down to these attributes: humility and openness to feedback, appreciation and consideration of others’ ideas and perspectives, the desire and ability to cultivate a psychologically safe environment, a growth mindset (the desire and willingness to improve oneself), a Servant-Leadership mentality (the desire to help others learn and grow), the ability to demonstrate gratitude, and a belief in the value of coaching.

If the person is coachable, my advice is to forcefully call out their toxicity. Don’t worry about letting your emotions show—whether you’re angry, sad, or anxious. This type of conversation should shake the executive until they concede that their actions have wronged people and the organization. From here, secure their commitment to change, and find them a coach who will not shy away from difficult topics.

In some instances, a coachable but flawed leader will quit voluntarily after having realized the harm they’ve caused, which may or may not be a good thing. This has happened more than once in my experience, so be prepared for the possibility. Confronting a top executive comes with risks, but it’s often the most direct path to change.

ESTABLISH A BUFFER TO NEUTRALIZE THE HARM

If the leader is not coachable, they may be willing to abdicate certain aspects of their role to someone else. This is often an attractive option because it protects the person’s status while requiring less of them. For example, someone could be exceptional at the public-facing part of their role, but may be a terrible people manager behind the scenes. Creating a chief of staff position (or several positions) to handle the inward looking part of the job decreases their responsibilities while making everyone’s lives easier.

In other words, create a buffer between the executive and the people they’re negatively impacting. Being a buffer may sound like a torturous task, but I have often served in this capacity and found it to be a perversely interesting challenge. If one is effective in the role, it can also be an incredibly gratifying opportunity to create positive change in the lives of hundreds or thousands of employees who’ve been held hostage by a leader’s toxicity.

Research shows that narcissists advance more quickly in their careers and are disproportionately more likely to be company leaders, which means there’s a decent chance that the toxic executive you’re trying to neutralize is a narcissist. As such, when convincing them to abdicate responsibilities, you must delicately navigate their ego. Make sure your approach is thoughtful and individualized. Think about receiving the message as them. How will their ego respond to what you’re saying? Craft your approach accordingly.

PLAY TO THEIR EGO AND MANAGE UP

If the leader is not coachable and unwilling to abdicate select responsibilities, facilitate change by managing up. For example, a narcissistic individual will sometimes acquiesce on a certain point if the result makes them look good. This requires working in the background, foregoing recognition, and sublimating one’s ego to create opportunities for the leader to shine. Once they realize the personal benefit of doing things differently, they will sometimes claim the idea as their own. While this can be frustrating, it’s often the best case scenario. Narcissists can be unwilling to accept other people’s suggestions, so convincing them that the proposed change was their idea helps them embrace a new way forward.

If this isn’t feasible, you can try to force action by creating the conditions for shame. This generally requires others in the organization to speak up about unearthed issues. Toxic leaders are often enabled by people who feel obligated to clean up after them. If you’re the enabler, then it’s within your power to do things differently. If it’s others you know, help them understand that doing their job well means acting in the best interest of the organization—not just their boss. One way to couch the conversation is by asking them to assess whether their actions on behalf of the toxic leader align with their personal values. The answer is probably no.

ENCOURAGE THEM TO LEAVE

If the leader is not coachable, encourage them to step down. Just because they’re not coachable doesn’t mean that they aren’t also tired of the negativity they are eliciting in others.

Years ago, I was engaged by one of the world’s largest business analytics companies to turn around a failing Bay Area subsidiary whose leader refused to resign. I was able to achieve their goal by getting to the heart of the executive’s stubbornness. The company had become a stand-in for a personal burden he felt obligated to carry around on his back; as a result, he deeply resented it and everyone who worked there. When we identified the pattern, he broke down in tears and quit on the spot. From there, I worked with other leaders at the subsidiary and parent company to develop an attractive retirement package that everyone could live with.

TURN UP THE HEAT

If the leader is not coachable and/or irredeemable, you can pursue either a top-down or bottom-up approach to pressure them out and/or get them fired. A top-down approach would require getting the board to act, which, in the case of a large, public entity, usually requires public pressure (e.g., CEO of Better.com, founder of Uber, founder of WeWork). A bottom-up approach can take the form of whistleblowing (a federally protected action), employee protest, or unionization.

SOME JOURNEYS REQUIRE THE HARD PATH

These are not easy options. They each require confidence, resolve, and a lot of hard work, but each strategy has helped me successfully overcome rot at the top.

To conclude, let’s quickly reiterate what won’t work. For one, extremely toxic individuals don’t learn by example (this requires self awareness). Modeling healthy leadership practices will go wholly unnoticed. The only way to make a dent is through strong, direct communication. Think Ebenezer Scrooge before his epiphany. Would he ever have changed his miserly ways without such a serious wake up call?

Finally, nothing good will come of you harboring anger and continuing with your job as if nothing is wrong. One can’t thrive on a steady diet of poison. At best, your performance and attitude will suffer; at worst, you will self-sabotage and/or cause real harm to yourself, your peers, and/or the company. Know that you and others at the organization deserve to be happy. If you’re unwilling or unable to walk away and find a new job, try taking one of the approaches described above or hiring a professional with demonstrated experience to implement one of the outlined strategies for you.