Whenever I read about CEOs in prominent companies shifting business strategies or making transformational changes in products, services, or operations with people, talent, and recruiting as a primary driver in those decisions, it makes my heart soar. In a recent Business Insider post by Nicholas Carlson, “We Just Witnessed A Profound Shift In Mark Zuckerberg’s Attitude Toward Facebook.” Check it out.

Zuckerberg, who may not care about money but is extremely competitive and aware that Facebook‘s low stock price would hurt his ability to recruit great product-makers, got the message.

Twitter also made some noise in the tech industry earlier this year with the introduction of the Innovator’s Patent Agreement – another talent-driven strategic shift.

Companies with these kinds of CEOs will win. Companies with CEOs who think about talent last will continue to lose and struggle and wonder why. I would hope this kind of thinking isn’t limited to Bay area tech firms.

It’s been said before, but bears repeating – people are an organization’s only true sustainable competitive advantage.

Is attracting, selecting, and retaining the absolute best people part of your organization’s strategic priorities? Or is it just an afterthought?