More than a decade ago, Gallup combed through its database of more than 1 million employee and manager interviews to identify the 12 elements most important for sustaining high performance. These were identified in the 1999 bestseller First, Break All the Rules.

The Gallup study now includes 9 million employee and manager interviews spanning 114 countries and conducted in 41 languages. The authors weave together the latest Gallup insights with recent discoveries in the fields of psychology, physiology, game theory, neuroscience, and management. Chapters in the book follow great managers as they harness employee engagement to turn around a failing call center, save a struggling restaurant, improve patient care in a hospital, maintain production through power outages, and face a host of other challenges in settings around the world.

Written to be accessible to all managers and employees, 12 explains what every company needs to know about human nature on the job.