Guy Cedrick, a top performer with the Eaton Group, a state-of-the-art design and marketing firm, has been thrust to the helm of leadership. Assigned to manage Eaton's newest division, he is immediately faced with overwhelming challenges the role brings. Guy finds motivating and developing employees requires much different tools than those which made him a superior designerâ€”tools he has not yet discovered.

With his new world of management swirling uncontrollably around him, Guy flounders. His colleagues watch him fight to survive, but no one has the advice to unlock Guy's leadership skills.

At home one weekend, Guy fumbles with a broken tree limb when his neighbor says, "I have a saw that will help you do a better job."

Stanley Sabato leads Guy into his garage, where Guy takes in the neat rows of tools that hang on crisp, solid pegboards. The lawn mower is parked next to the spreader which is aligned with the tiller. Stanley retrieves a sharp tree saw from the pegboard and says "You have to know what tools to work with if you are going to get anything done."

Guy realizes that Stanley has just identified the younger man's greatest challenge. When Guy shares his leadership struggle with Stanley, the two men embark upon a conversation that lasts several months and changes Guy's life forever.