One of my clients, a small software company in Detroit, had this a-ha moment in our recent quarterly session. “With great power comes great responsibility. We have great power (talent on our team), and we’re not being responsible because we aren’t focusing it effectively.”

Fortunately, they have great people on their team that fit into their culture and are extremely talented. Unfortunately, several team members are bringing in too many new ideas and opportunities for the team feasibly to pursue.

Have you ever picked apples at an apple orchard? Trees burgeoning with plump, perfectly shaped apples, ripe for the picking. Growing up in California, we had such a prolific tree in the backyard of our house. During August and early September, Mom would send me out to pick the apples and gather up the strays lying on the ground. I’d haul them into the house with a bushel basket and Mom would turn most of them into applesauce. The very best specimens were sliced up, covered with dough and baked into Mom’s excellent apple pie.

Most of the apples, hanging enticingly from the branches, looked perfect. Or at least until you grabbed one and studied it more carefully. You know, one side of the apple looked great, but when you turned it over you’d find a wormhole or a deep bruise. Damaged goods.

But how many times have you taken a bite before performing your due diligence—checking it out from every angle?

If you’re like most bosses, you do most of the talking. Frankly, this one-way-street behavior needs to change. Your job is to ensure that the dialogue is 80/20, where your direct report is doing 80% of the talking and you’re talking only 20% of the time. The only way to make that happen is to ask questions instead of making statements.

Here’s a guiding principle that will separate you from the pack of not-so-good bosses: A great boss creates a work environment where people are fully engaged and highly accountable.

How would you rate the level of accountability in your organization, on a scale of 1–10? If you’re like most bosses, you’d rate accountability low—maybe a 4. It’s one of the many people issues that frustrate you. You assign jobs to your people, only to be frustrated when they don’t follow through and accomplish them.

There are four truths that you must embrace if you truly desire to be a great boss. If you don’t embrace them, no amount of reading, teaching, coaching, or effort will make you great.

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.