1. Two large studies over 25 years surveyed over 1 million employees and found that talented employees need great managers and that how long an employee stays and their productivity is determined by their relationship with their immediate supervisor. 2. The book presents insights from great managers and found that they reject conventional wisdom. Instead of trying to fix weaknesses, they recognize that people are motivated differently and have their own styles. Great managers focus on drawing out employees' strengths rather than trying to change their inherent traits. 3. The studies developed 12 questions that measure strong workplaces and found a direct link between positive responses on the questions and higher productivity, profitability, employee satisfaction and retention.