"Wonderful . . . a moving autobiography, the story of a unique business, and a detailed blueprint for hope." —Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel In this 10th anniversary edition, Yvon Chouinard—legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.—shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. From his youth as the son of a French Canadian handyman to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sport's equipment, Let My People Go Surfing is the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life-a book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

Praise for THE CHIEF HR OFFICER The Chief HR Officer offers the most current thinking on the evolving role of the chief human resource officer (CHRO). An essential resource for experienced and aspiring CHROs, the book shows leaders how to best prepare for and perform this critical role. This comprehensive book shows how, in today’s extremely competitive work environment, the job of the CHRO has expanded to encompass many important roles. Among other things, HR leaders must adapt to and address the demands of an increasingly diverse and demanding workforce, globalization, stricter regulatory requirements, increased accountability to the CEO and board of directors, and the complexity of leading the HR function with often limited resources. This vital guide is filled with rare insights and practical guidance from some of the country’s most successful CHROs who have been in the trenches as well as top academics researching the field including Randy MacDonald (IBM), Eva Sage-Gavin (Gap Inc.), L. Kevin Cox (American Express), Mirian M. Graddick-Weir (Merck), and Dave Ulrich (Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and The RBL Group). Sponsored by the National Academy of Human Resources (NAHR), the book covers a wealth of topics including how to develop a perspective and set of skills to effectively lead and perform in the role and how to approach strategy, management, leadership, ethics, and talent. In addition, the authors include information on forming and implementing activities that will further the firm’s strategy, advice for coaching and counseling the CEO, and much more.

Effective Human Resource Management is the Center for Effective Organizations' (CEO) sixth report of a fifteen-year study of HR management in today's organizations. The only long-term analysis of its kind, this book compares the findings from CEO's earlier studies to new data collected in 2010. Edward E. Lawler III and John W. Boudreau measure how HR management is changing, paying particular attention to what creates a successful HR function—one that contributes to a strategic partnership and overall organizational effectiveness. Moreover, the book identifies best practices in areas such as the design of the HR organization and HR metrics. It clearly points out how the HR function can and should change to meet the future demands of a global and dynamic labor market. For the first time, the study features comparisons between U.S.-based firms and companies in China, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other European countries. With this new analysis, organizations can measure their HR organization against a worldwide sample, assessing their positioning in the global marketplace, while creating an international standard for HR management.

The first-person account of the family that changed the American retail landscape that Dave Ramsey calls a must-read. Longtime Dollar General CEO Cal Turner, Jr. shares his extraordinary life as heir to the company founded by his father, Cal Turner, Sr., and his grandfather, a dirt farmer turned Depression-era entrepreneur. Cal's narrative is at its heart a father-son story, from his childhood in Scottsville, Kentucky, where business and family were one, to the triumph of reaching the Fortune 300 -- at the cost of risking that very father/son relationship. Cal shares how the small-town values with which he was raised helped him guide Dollar General from family enterprise to national powerhouse. Chronicling three generations of a successful family with very different leadership styles, Cal Jr. shares a wealth of wisdom from a lifetime on the entrepreneurial front lines. He shows how his grandfather turned a third-grade education into an asset for success. He reveals how his driven father hatched the game-changing dollar price point strategy and why it worked. And he explains how he found his own leadership style when he took his place at the helm -- values-based, people-oriented, and pragmatic. Cal's story provides a riveting look at the family love and drama behind Dollar General's spectacular rise, pays homage to the working-class people whose no-frills needs helped determine its rock-bottom prices, and shares the life and lessons of one of America's most compelling business leaders.

Executive Coaching is a “consumer’s guide” for HR professionals and executives who want to be good clients and savvy consumers of coaching services. Step by step, the book defines what coaching is, who uses it, when, and why. In this comprehensive resource the authors outline the entire coaching process, include key points on the readiness for coaching, and clients’ first-hand accounts of their coaching experiences. Valerio and Lee describe the roles of the HR professional, the client, the boss, and the coach and how all work together in order to achieve a successful coaching engagement.

#1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Dave Ulrich offers HR professionals a new line of defense in the corporate “war for talent.” Destined to be a classic in the field, this game-changing book from HR visionary Dave Ulrich tackles one of the greatest challenges in Human Resources today: the talent wars. As companies grow increasingly and aggressively competitive in hiring and nurturing individual employees, this book offers a refreshing, revolutionary alternative. By creating dynamic systems that leverage talent throughout the organization, you can create a unified whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. In the long run, that’s what gives your company the competitive edge it needs. Based on the research findings of the latest round of Ulrich’s legendary HR Competency Survey, this groundbreaking book is sure to spark debate, shatter myths, and inspire real change throughout the HR community. Filled with fact-based insights and field-tested strategies, it proves that your organization’s success lies, not in the talent you have, but what you do with the talent once you have it. This book shows you how to build capabilities, strengthen systems, and empower human capital—for longer lasting success.

This book analyzes how HR organizations operate and what makes them effective, outlining how they need to change.