A vindictive Boss is a career disaster. God save you ... not really ! You can save yourself too, if you are caught in the wrap.
Vindictiveness is a disorder. Nothing to do with competence. You could be competent and yet be vindictive. That's worst. If you had an incompetent but vindictive Boss, you could shake him off much more easily. A competent Boss is likely to stay on , much longer.
Vindictiveness is about nurturing deep desire to cause harm and injury to someone as a consequence of that person being earlier feeling harmed knowingly or unknowingly by you. Imagine the vulnerability ... the person who supervises your work, does your appraisal , decides you promotion , determines your career growth, decides your pay hike and is in charge of the nine yards that determine your career growth being vindictive towards you if he felt you harmed him/ her in some way ...
Disaster with a capital 'D'. The Power Dice is loaded in his favour.
A vindictive person is actually insecure and fragile. Gets hurt too fast and with the slightest of the reasons. The inner hurt creates a turmoil and consequential disequilibrium within is thus held as a hate and a grudge against you. He felt inferior. He will not rest till he feels superior again. The balance has to be res-set. Only when avenged sufficiently and more will the vindictive Boss be at rest. You will see him at his toxic best insulting you in public about a small error that you make labeling it as a major incompetence.
Unfortunately, the world expects a leader to be wise, forgiving and not so sensitive. Thus a good leader is not expected to be vindictive.
Being vindictive is therefore a a leadership Bobble. Train yourself to get out of it.
No one can make you feel small, dear Boss. Only you can.