New Research on How the Best Managers Shape Employees’ Careers

What makes some managers more valuable than others? Organizations tend to assume the answer lies in motivation and control: good managers are those who inspire effort, build team morale, or enforce incentives effectively. But, perhaps, the secret sauce isn’t how hard managers push; it’s how well they place. In new research spanning 200,000 employees and 30,000 managers in nearly 100 countries, I find that managers create value—for both their organizations and those they manage—by matching people to roles where they fit best.