University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The Talent Mandate
Book

The Talent Mandate

Why Smart Companies Put People First

Andrew Benett
Palgrave Macmillan, 2013
Buy book or audiobook

Read or listen offline

Amazon Kindle
  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×

Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Andrew Benett, president of Havas Worldwide, accurately targets and discusses the latest trends in organizational development and employment. While perhaps more thorough than original, Benett helpfully explains that modern companies need talented employees, employees need digital skills, firms need positive cultures, and so on. If the book has a godfather, he is the frequently cited John Sculley, the former Apple CEO. Within Benett’s clear update on the latest employment and organizational trends, particularly those concerning dealing with top talent, he also discusses companies – DreamWorks, Motley Fool, Dow – that rarely appear in business books. getAbstract recommends his overview to executives, managers, HR personnel and talented workers looking to make the most of their gifts in a newly welcoming marketplace.

Summary

The Organizational Gray Suit Is Out; the Idea Person Is In

Today’s smart companies carefully seek and hire the most talented people they can find. In the modern ideas economy, every organization must seek and nourish the smartest, most innovative employees, because they develop the best, most original ideas. Fresh ideas are the lifeblood of contemporary business success. This “talent revolution” powers the transformation of employees from faceless corporate clones to what management expert Tom Peters dubbed, “The Brand Called You” – staff members who make themselves known for their special skills and attributes, not for where they work or their job titles. To find, hire, nourish and retain these invaluable staff members, your company must become a “talent magnet.” Your CEO must plan and lead the charge to recruit these employees and keep them happy.

The Silicon Valley Influence

This revolution started in California’s Silicon Valley, which has emphasized the value of talent since its earliest days – going back to 1939, when Dave Packard and Bill Hewlett started their famous company in a garage. Talent distinguishes all Silicon Valley’s tech giants, including...

About the Author

Andrew Benett, president of Havas Worldwide, is the author of Good for Business: The Rise of the Conscious Corporation and Consumed: Rethinking Business in the Era of Mindful Spending.

Comment on this summary