The Talent Mandate

Book excerpt: "Our employees are our greatest asset"-it's a cliché companies feel obliged to spout. Some may even believe it. But as with eating healthy food and getting exercise, lip-service doesn't make goals come true. In this groundbreaking book, The Talent Mandate, Andrew Benett explores how truly "talent centric" organizations thrive in today's changing economy. Based on original research and in-depth interviews with outstanding leaders of talent-driven organizations such as Zappos, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Nestle, Dow Chemical, The Motley Fool, AnswerLab, and more, Benett uncovers emerging trends and benchmarks and shows why it is so important to invest in and develop tomorrow's talent. Readers will come away with a clear lesson: Talent is no longer something to be palmed off down the chain of command. It must be the top business priority of the most senior people in the company-including the CEO.