Make Talent Your Business

Foreword

Dave Ulrich

DURING A RECENT INTERVIEW, an executive with a large investment firm asked me if the principles regarding talent and people my firm advocated would cause his people to work harder for the same money, so that he could buy a bigger yacht. I was stupefied and not sure how to respond. I realized that leadership Neanderthals continue to exist who worship the escapades of Gordon Gekko, the hero of the Wall Street movies.

Fortunately, fewer and fewer leaders practice traditional command-and-control, greed-is-good, self-interest-rules leadership. More leaders recognize the importance of communicating and coaching, generosity over greed, and service to others more than self-interest. These enlightened leaders understand that business ...