"How can corporations get the most out of their employees? Charles O'Reilly challenges the prevailing wisdom that companies must chase and acquire top talent in order to remain successful. He argues instead that the source of sustained competitive advantage already exists within every organization. O'Reilly's prescription for an overheated labor market: abandon the obsession with hiring high-priced stars and instead, motivate ordinary people to build...

AFLAC CEO Dan Amos believes his company's success has come from a reputation of doing the right thing and from putting employees first. He follows two simple principles: set clear expectations, and listen to employees. Communication needs to be followed by action: provide an even-handed response to the input, and implement a reward system that gives employees a vested interest in the profitability of the company. When employees trust the company to...

"Colleen Barrett explains the success of Southwest Airlines in simple terms: a customer focus that is not just a program or policy, but a way of life. In an industry that must constantly balance cost against people, Barrett believes that not focusing on the people values will make dollars irrelevant. She explains that employee satisfaction is the starting point for customer satisfaction, and describes a hiring process that selects on individual attitudes,...

Carole Robin, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University, describes how to use the law of reciprocity and the theory of exchange--paying for what you need or want by giving others what they need or want--to create allies and produce win/win solutions.

"Hierarchies are inevitable in organizations, and to advance within them depends less on job performance and more on an understanding of power. Individual power comes from political skill, knowing the rules of the game, recognizing the power of others, and--mostly--being willing and able to play the game."

"Can you build a business model around happiness? If you can deliver happiness to customers through exceptional customer service, from engaged employees who are inspired by a vision of higher purpose, the answer is yes. In this high-spirited talk, Tony Hsieh shares how Zappos fosters its unique culture, starting with hiring and retaining employees based on their commitment to its core values."--Back cover.

Robert I Sutton, cofounder of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, gives a talk on the challenge that determines every organization's success: scaling up farther, faster, and more effectively as a program or an organization creates a larger footprint.