When I first meet with a small business leadership team, I always ask them to rate the how accountable their team is on a scale of 1 to 10. The average among teams is a 4. And inevitably there is a comment or statement made that “I wish our people were more accountable.” The question that soon follows is, “Mike, can you help me make my people more accountable?”

My answer is, No.

Ever notice how everyone in a workplace knows who the bad boss is—except the bad boss? If you’re supervising others, and you’re frustrated with their performance, it’s possible that the problem isn’t your team. You could be the not-so-great boss.

Truthfully, every boss has areas for growth. Most bosses have strong qualities as well as opportunities for improvement. But a great boss consistently exemplifies strong leadership and management qualities.

Our infographic, Are You a Great Boss or a Not-So-Great Boss, highlights the common traits of both kinds of bosses. It also reveals the difference between leadership and management—and explains why you need both.

The concept of accountability means different things to different people. Some think that it’s simply doing what you say you will do. Others proclaim it’s when things reach the point where “the buck stops here!”

After working with hundreds of business owners and entrepreneurs, I have found that true accountability occurs only when it is ingrained in the company’s culture, and it always starts with the leadership team.

Sadly, most organizations don’t truly foster a culture of accountability. Employees are left to interpret what they’re accountable for, which can lead to confusion, frustration, and apathy.

Do you have accountability issues in your company? If you said "No," you're in the minority. Accountability is usually one of the biggest issues that hold organizations back. However, people talk about a lack of accountability and yet I find that many don't really know what is meant by the word. Let me see if I can help.

It takes two types of leaders at the helm of a 10-250 person entrepreneurial organization to have the "Rocket Fuel" it needs to hit the next level: the Visionary and the Integrator.

The Visionary entrepreneur’s passion, drive and creativity are the key elements that help launch a business and fuel a company’s growth. But when a company is growing, the Visionary entrepreneur starts to feel swamped with the overwhelming workload, and their momentum begins to stall and sputter. Every great Visionary hits this threshold.